Gloria Pat Barnett Culpepper

Gloria Pat Barnett Culpepper, 81, died Wednesday, May 10, 2023, in Georgetown, Texas. She was a beloved wife, mother, and grandmother, and she will be greatly missed.

Gloria was born on January 5, 1942, in Galveston, Texas, to Patsy Belle Wills Barnett and Adrian Clive (A.C.) Barnett and was their only child. Her parents relocated to Orange, Texas, in 1945 when Gloria was three years old. She attended Orange, Texas public schools and graduated from Stark High School in 1960 as the Valedictorian of her graduating class. She then attended Baylor University in Waco, Texas for the first two years of her studies and, later, the Baylor School of Nursing in Dallas, Texas, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) in 1964. After graduating from Baylor, Gloria continued her education at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, where she obtained a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN).

On August 22, 1964, Gloria married Ben Culpepper of Orange, Texas, at the First Baptist Church of Orange, where she and Ben had both been members since childhood and had grown up together. Ben and Gloria enjoyed a long and happy marriage together and were just three months short of reaching their 50th Anniversary in August 2014 when Ben predeceased Gloria in May 2014.

Gloria is survived by her three children: Elizabeth Claire Culpepper Turley and her husband, Lee Turley; Rebecca Susan Culpepper Arnold and her husband, Chris Arnold; and Andrew Barnett Culpepper. She was blessed with three grandchildren: Jillian Claire Turley, Judson Drew Turley, and Lauren Elise Arnold, all of whom survive her. Gloria is also survived by her sister-in-law, Claire Culpepper Johnson, and Claire’s husband, Jack Johnson, along with her niece, Diane Johnson Broadway, and her nephew, David Johnson. Gloria was preceded in death by her parents, Patsy and A.C. Barnett; by her in-laws, Naomi and Q.B. Culpepper; by her husband of 49 years, Ben Culpepper; and by her son, Christopher Culpepper.

Gloria was a woman of God, follower of Jesus Christ, and faithful Christian servant. She was a longtime member of the First Baptist Church of Orange, Texas, where she served for many years as a Sunday school teacher and music leader in the children’s ministry, and later served with her husband, Ben, as a teacher for the Adult Connection Group known as the Faithful Servants.

Professionally, Gloria was a registered nurse, who began her nursing career in the emergency department at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. After earning her MSN, she became a Professor of Nursing and taught a variety of nursing courses for seven years at McNeese State University in Lake Charles, Louisiana, before stepping away for a few years to raise her four children. After her youngest child was school age, Gloria resumed her nursing career as the school nurse at Hatton Elementary School in Bridge City, Texas. She served as the school nurse for 16 years, until her first granddaughter, Jill, was born in 2002. At that time, Gloria once again stepped away from nursing to devote her time, energy, and love as the full-time “Grand-nanny” for Jill, and later for her only grandson, Drew, when he was born in 2005.

In 2018, after Jill and Drew were in high school and middle school, Gloria relocated from Orange to Georgetown, Texas, so that she could be in closer proximity to her daughter Susan; Susan’s husband, Chris; her youngest grandchild, Lauren; and her son, Andrew. While living in Georgetown, Gloria was an active member of the First Baptist Church of Georgetown. She loved spending time with her family and played an active role in caring for her granddaughter Lauren.

Ever since childhood, Gloria had been an avid reader. She loved to visit the Orange Public Library every Saturday morning to check out the maximum allotment of books for the week, which she would typically finish reading within the first few days. She always carried a book with her in the car and most places that she went, and she always marked her place in the book with a scrap of white paper so that she could quickly resume reading whenever the opportunity presented itself.

During her free time, which was often limited by a busy household, she could be found reading a book, whether in her rocking chair in the den of her home or outside on the backyard porch swing or in a chair by the pool, taking periodic breaks from her books to cool off and float in the pool. Despite hectic days with work, church, and busy children (hers and all the others she carted to activities around town in a constant cycle of carpooling), Gloria never missed taking a short afternoon nap, which was never more than “about 15 minutes.”

Her favorite spot was the beach and, for many summers in the late 1970s and early 1980s, she would plan an annual week at Crystal Beach, Texas with two other Orange families, for a total of three moms and eight children in one cabin. Countless youth from FBC Orange during the 1980s and 1990s may recall swimming in the pool at Gloria’s house while feasting on her homemade chocolate chip cookies, which she made at least 4-5 times per week for years and years, although more raw cookie dough was consumed than cookies baked.

Her personal favorite treat was Oreos and real Coke; even though she was a nurse by training, Gloria’s idea of a balanced diet was less meats and veggies, no fruits, and more snacks and treats. She spoiled her grandchildren with frequent outings to Chuck E. Cheese, the pretzel and cookie shops at the mall, and Chick Fil A, where she was on a first name basis for many years with some of the workers there.

The special nickname given to Gloria by her grandchildren was “Geepy” (pronounced like “jeep”), which was a combination of the “G” in her first name, Gloria, and the “P” in her middle name, Pat, but was pronounced as one word. When Drew was little and could not make the consonant sound for “j,” he called his grandmother “Beepy” for several years, which she found amusing.

Gloria was blessed to spend time in later years at beaches in Florida, and she was very excited when she traveled to Disney World, first with her grandchildren Jill and Drew and, later, with her granddaughter Lauren. She also maintained and treasured her friendship with “The Herd,” a group of classmates from her Stark High School days who gathered annually for many years for a slumber party, including her childhood friends Gayle Colburn Copeland and Janelle Woods Cooper.

Gloria was intelligent and driven but was also quiet and unassuming. She devoted her life to the Lord and to her family, and she exhibited Christ’s love and kindness to everyone she met. She leaves a legacy of faith, family, and love.

Funeral services for Gloria Pat Barnett Culpepper will be held Tuesday, May 16, 2023, at 3 p.m. at the First Baptist Church of Orange, Texas, located at 7637 Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr., Orange, Texas 77632. Visitation with the family will begin the same day at 2 p.m., prior to the funeral service, with graveside services at Hillcrest Memorial Gardens (4560 Hwy 87, Orange, Texas 77630) to immediately follow the funeral service.

Serving as pallbearers will be Andrew Culpepper, Lee Turley, Drew Turley, Chris Arnold, David Johnson, and Bill Klein. Honorary pallbearers will be Jack Johnson, Jack Smith, Doug Patterson, and Jay Trahan.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to First Baptist Church, Orange, Texas.