Colleen Ann Walker's Obituary
Colleen Ann Walker Gray March 3, 1958 – March 6, 2026
Colleen Ann Walker Gray of Channelview, Texas, passed away peacefully on March 6, 2026, three days after celebrating her 68th birthday, following a long battle with COPD. Colleen was born in Portland, Maine, and relocated to Texas with her parents as an infant. She grew up in the Deer Park area, and Texas became her lifelong home.
Colleen had a creative spirit and enjoyed working with her hands. She loved arts and crafts and had a special gift for furniture restoration, bringing new life to old pieces. She also enjoyed creating beautiful all-occasion baskets to sell, taking pride in making things that brought joy to others. Colleen shared a love of cooking with her husband, Gary, and the two of them enjoyed planning meals together and spending time in the kitchen. They also loved spending their weekends searching estate sales together, always on the lookout for hidden treasures and pieces Colleen could restore.
Colleen also had a compassionate spirit and a deep love for animals. She could never turn away a stray. From the time she was a small child, she became known for rescuing and caring for animals in need. Her beloved dog Lacey, the runt of the litter whom she adored, passed away just three days before Colleen. Those who knew how much Lacey meant to her found deep meaning in the closeness of their final days.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Charles A. and Ange-Amie M. Walker, LVN; her older brother, Sgt. Mark A. Walker; and her infant grandson, Raymond David Lawson.
Colleen is survived by her husband of 25 years, Gary W. Gray; her daughter, Chelsie A. Lawson, and granddaughter Kirstin Meadows; her son, Jonathan R. Lawson, his spouse Elizabeth, and granddaughters Ellie and Emery; her stepson, Joshua Gray, his spouse Skylar, and daughter Sakari; her sister, Patrice Christensen (Nelson); her brother, Bradley Walker (Danya); her goddaughter and niece, Ange Hope, who shared a very special bond with Colleen and lovingly named her “CoCo” as an infant. The two shared a love of furniture restoration and crafting, and they were often inseparable; her nieces, Amanda Walker and Summer Schillings; her nephews, Brock Sanders and Bradley S. Walker; numerous great-nieces and great-nephews; and her best friend, Candy Carson Carlson, whose friendship with Colleen lasted from their days as small school children onward.
Colleen will be remembered for her creativity, her fierce and unwavering love for her two children and three granddaughters. She had a fiery spirit and a strong will that defined who she was, and she lived life her own way. From rescuing animals and to bravely facing her illness in her final days.
A Celebration of Life will be held Saturday, March 28, 2026, at 11:00 AM at Hernandez Funeral Home, 2804 Fulton Street, Houston, Texas 77009. Immediately following the service, family and friends are invited to join the family for lunch at Johnny Tamales, 4647 East Sam Houston Parkway South, Pasadena, Texas 77505.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Baytown Humane Society in Colleen’s memory: https://www.baytownhumanesociety.org
Infinity and Beyond - IAB
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