Henry DuMay

William Henry DuMay, “Henry”, a loving husband, father, father-in-law, and grandfather passed away suddenly at the age of 81. Henry was born on July 13, 1938, in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. His family relocated to San Antonio where he graduated from Edison High School in 1956. Henry earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering from Texas A & M University in 1960 and was honored as a distinguished student. Early in his professional career, Henry relocated to Houston to work at NASA. Henry, alongside a talented team of the finest engineers in the country, trained and educated the original seven astronauts. Henry was also proficient with many of the original computer programming languages. This led to his employment with oil and gas-related companies such as Exxon, Stratamodel and Southwest Research Institute.

Henry met the love of his life, Rose Marie Opella, at a young adult group at St. Anne Catholic Church in the early 1960s. They were married on May 18, 1963, in West, Texas (Rose Marie’s hometown). They recently celebrated their 57th Wedding Anniversary. They had one son, David Henry DuMay.

Henry had many passions in life including playing classical guitar, painting, drawing, photography, gardening, growing roses and orchids, ping pong, juggling and reading. He loved animals and cared for many family pets including dogs, cats, birds, turtles and most recently his tabby cat, Baloo.

Henry was known for his kindness, empathy, humility, compassion, and cute sense of humor. He loved being David’s “Best Man”. Henry was a wonderful father-in-law. Being the boys’ “Grandpa” brought him great joy and happiness.

Henry is survived by his wife of 57 years, Rose Marie Opella DuMay, his son David, daughter-in-law Mary Frances (Anderson) DuMay and his grandchildren Clayton, Conner and Patrick, brother-in-law Jerry Opella and his wife Teresa, numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and many loyal and life-long friends. We will miss Dad, Henry, and Grandpa. May his soul rest in eternal peace with our Lord and Savior.

A Memorial Mass will be celebrated on Thursday, July 16, 2020, at 10am at St. Anne Catholic Church at 2140 Westheimer Road, Houston, TX 77098. Due to Covid-19, protocols include masks or facial coverings be worn and social distancing will be in effect. Please enter the church through the double doors (east side). While we welcome attendance, we believe your healthy and safety is paramount.

In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Henry DuMay may be made to Houston Botanic Garden, www.hbg.org/support or 8205 N. Bayou Drive, Houston, TX 77017, and include “Henry DuMay” in the memo field or St. Anne Catholic Church, 2140 Westheimer Road, Houston, TX 77098, and mention “Henry DuMay” in the memo area.