Eva Gay Berry Farley

Funeral services for Eva Gay Berry Farley, 85, of Zavalla will be held Wednesday, December 16, 2020 at 2:00 p.m. in the Carroway Funeral Home Chapel in Lufkin with Brother Cary Modisett officiating and special memories shared by, niece, Gina Donovan. Interment will follow in the Concord Cemetery.

Eva was born May 18, 1935 in Patroon, Texas to the late Rosa (Waldrop) and Claude Paul Berry, and died Sunday, December 13, 2020 in Lufkin.

In her youth, Eva lived with her family on the internationally acclaimed V8 Ranch in Patroon, where her father, Claude Paul Berry was foreman of the 3,000-acre Brahman operation. After graduating from Shelbyville High School in 1952, Eva attended Pineywoods Business College in Lufkin. It was around this time her poise and beauty gained her a sponsorship from Taylor Hardware to compete in the 1953 Miss Lufkin pageant. At one point in her professional career Eva was secretary to the president of Huntington State Bank. Later she joined her sister, Bonnie, and brother-in-law, Richard, in the real estate business at Donovan Real Estate, Inc., where she served numerous satisfied customers and clients. In retirement, Eva loved traveling with family and friends. Some of her favorite destinations were Alaska, Colorado, and Hawaii.  She took scores of photos of each trip, collected maps, menus, and other meaningful mementos and created fabulous scrapbooks of her experiences. On the last page of each scrapbook, Eva wrote, “To be continued.”

Survivors include her sister and brother-in-law, Bonnie and Richard Donovan of Lufkin; niece, Gina Donovan of Lufkin; nephews, Christopher Paul Berry and Grady Orbison, both of Houston; sister-in-law, Hazel Berry of Houston; stepdaughter, Dinah Crim of Longview; special friends, Melba Pouland, Dorothy DuBose and Harriett Noska; and numerous cousins and other relatives.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Sambo Farley; brother, Curtis Paul Berry; nephews, Joey Paul Berry and Bobby Prine; stepson-in-law, Don Crim; and special friend, Evelyn Clegg.

Pallbearers will be Bill Simpson, John Sloan, Wayne Atwood, Larry Noska, Murlin Graham, Roy Carroway, Jr., and Stewart Mill.

Honorary pallbearers will be Curtis Paul Berry and Richard M. Donovan.

Memorial contributions may be made to Zavalla Food Bank, P.O. Box 344, Zavalla, Texas 75980.

Eva’s family extends a truly heartfelt thank you to Hospice in the Pines for their loving, compassionate care during this emotional, transitional time.

The family will welcome friends and loved ones from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. Wednesday afternoon prior to the services.

Live webcasting of the services may be viewed, and memories and condolences may be added at www.carrowayfuneralhome.com.

Carroway Funeral Home, Lufkin, directors.