Mary “Tencey” Ottea
January 28, 1931 – August 22, 2019 (Age 88)

Mary Ottea of Bryan, Texas passed peacefully from this life to be with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Weighing only 4 ½ pounds at birth, she was born in Houston, Texas, and soon acquired the name “Tencey” because of her small size. She lived in Bryan for most of her life, and was proud to call it “home”. She was preceded in death by her husband John Ottea; parents, Sam and Rena Rezzoffi; and brother and sister-in-law, Luke and Rosa Rezzoffi. She is survived by one son, Johnny Ottea and wife, Peggy, of Sugarland; daughters, Kay Ritchey and husband, George; Ginger Kubichek and husband, Bobby; Lisa Anthony and husband, Cully Lipsey; and Christi Owen and husband, Mike, all of Bryan; sister, Nathlan Coad and husband, Jerry of College Station. She is also survived by nine grandchildren: Jodie Clay, Ryan Ottea, Jeffrey Kubichek, Abbey Mack, John Kubichek, Adam Anthony, Kathryn Little, Carrie Qualls and Keith Owen. She also has 20 great-children, plus many nieces, nephews, cousins & special friends.

As a youngster, she lived on a farm and attended the Tabor Country School and Stephen F. Austin High School in Bryan. She married John Ottea in 1949, and with him had, in her words, “five wonderful children”. Her family was her life! Later, as she became a grandmother, she added a new name: “Meme” and considered herself richly blessed. She was non-judgmental, loving, caring and thoughtful, as those who knew her will attest. She was a better listener than any successful business owner or CEO of any company. She always made a conversation about “you” — never her – a trait we can not only admire, but strive to adopt. She was quite talented as a vegetable and flower gardener, producing some of the prettiest and tastiest tomatoes, cucumbers, squash and eggplant which rivaled anything you could find at Whole Foods. No matter what season, she always wanted her flower garden to be full of color. She was considered by her family to be the best grandmother anyone could ever have—baking unforgettable sugar cookies, making Christmas crafts, and attending grandchildren’s recitals, performances, concerts, and sporting events.

Mary was a woman of deep, unshakable faith. She was a lifelong member of St. Anthony’s Catholic Church, and was known to spend the majority of each morning praying for all of those she loved and for all of their concerns. It is no secret that her sons-in-law and daughter-in law knew that when they married into her family, they had hit the mother-in-law jack pot.

Visitation and Life Tribute will be held at Callaway-Jones on Sunday, August 25, 1:00-3:00 p.m. The celebration of Mass will be on Monday, August 26, 10:00 a.m. at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church, with the graveside service immediately following at Mt. Calvary cemetery, all in Bryan.

You are welcome, in lieu of flowers, make memorial donations in Memory of Tencey to Hospice Brazos Valley, 502 West 26th Street, Bryan, Texas 77803.

Express condolences at CallawayJones.com