Myra Clay

Myra Estelle Clay passed away on July 21, 2021. She was born on November 13, 1931, in Port Arthur, Texas to Pierre and Norma Guidry. Myra was raised in Port Arthur where she attended St. James High School which merged into Bishop Byrne Catholic High School where she was a member of the first graduating class in 1949. She was a proud member of their Drum and Bugle Corp.  Myra always had a love for music and continued her studies at the University of Texas. On a return trip home in June 1950 Myra met Vernon, her future husband, and they went on their first date. They were soon engaged and were making plans for a wedding when Vernon received his “invitation letter” from the Navy to return to active duty after already serving during WWII. Plans were changed and after a hurried wedding they were off to San Diego. While in San Diego they were blessed with their first child, Cynthia.

Upon leaving San Diego the family moved to Bay City, Texas, where they had their second daughter, Victoria.  They later built their first home in Sweeny, Texas where she was an active Garden Club member. While there, they welcomed two more children into the world: Rebecca, and Jim. In 1966 the family moved to Beaumont into their forever home. 

Myra enjoyed being a homemaker and wife in a loving family. Her mother, Norma Guidry moved in with the family after she was widowed and together they enjoyed sewing, music, preparing family meals for celebrations, and gardening. Myra had a passion for gardening and she and Vernon both became Master Gardeners. Together they spent years volunteering at the Beaumont Botanical Gardens. Myra enjoyed doing her part to make Beaumont a beautiful city.  She served as President of Milady Garden club, President of The Council of Garden Clubs, and spent many years on the Parks Board for the City of Beaumont.

Family was always important to her, and she loved researching and documenting family history. Myra always said that “Home is where your family is.” After Vernon passed away in 2008, she took on the task of building a home at Crystal Beach next door to her daughter, Cynthia. This would be a place for family gatherings during holidays and special events. She loved having her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren gathered around her. She was able to spend many nights at the beach, almost living there full time for several years. As her health declined, she moved back to her home in Beaumont where she enjoyed her time looking out to her beautiful yard from her Garden Room.

Myra was preceded in death by her parents, Pierre and Norma Guidry, of Port Arthur and her husband, Vernon Clay. She is survived by four children, Cynthia Clay Srader and her husband, Jim, of Crystal Beach; Victoria Clay Bonsall, of Beaumont; Rebecca Clay Boggess and her husband, Dr. Thomas Boggess, Jr., of Iowa City, Iowa; and Vernon Clay, Jr. and his wife, Christine, of Beaumont; seven grandchildren, Heather Wallace and her husband, Bobby, of Shore Acres; Seth Aaron Srader and his wife, Michelle, of Lumberton; Dr. Erin Boggess of Iowa City, Iowa; Renee Ricci and her husband, Kevin, of Houston; Thomas Boggess, III, of Albuquerque, New Mexico; Benjamin Bonsall and his wife, Katherine, of Beaumont; and Dr. Dylan Clay, of Beaumont; seven great-grandchildren; and five great-great-grandchildren.

A Rosary will be recited at 12:00 p.m., with a gathering of family and friends to begin at 12:30 p.m., with her funeral service to follow at 2:00 p.m., Thursday, July 29, 2021, at Broussard’s, 1605 North Major Drive, Beaumont. Her interment will follow at Greenlawn Memorial Park, Groves.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Beaumont Botanical Gardens, 6088 Babe Zaharias Drive, Beaumont, Texas 77705.