Joy Helene Steck

Joy Helene Courtney Steck was born July 14, 1932 in Jacksonville, Texas to Walter Weldon Courtney and Rae Cleo Irwin. She grew up in Rusk, Texas and graduated from Rusk High School in 1950.

On her 18^th birthday of that same year, she married Billy Browning also from Rusk.  They established their home in Rusk, where she and Billy had their 3 children Pamela Joy, Melanie, and Stephen Ronald. Helene was raised Baptist, but became Methodist after getting married. She married Gerald Steck on December 1, 1973 in Bryan and enjoyed almost 50 years of marriage.

Helene was a wonderful cook and doted on her grandchildren. She enjoyed traveling all over the United States with her husband, Gerald in their travel trailer after her retirement from the Texas Highway Department in 1993.

Helene was preceded in death by her parents, Walter and Cleo Courtney, Her first husband, Billy Browning, and her son, Stephen Browning.

Survivors include her husband, Gerald Steck, her daughters, Pam Perrone and husband Andy, Melanie Wallace and husband John, and daughter-in-law, Antoinette Browning. She is also survived by her 6 grandchildren, David (Anne) Tosh, Andrew Perrone, Jonathan Perrone, Mary Joy (JP) Venuti, Teresa Browning, and Walter Browning; her great-grandchildren, Ryan and Alexa Tosh, and Gia and Gabriella Perrone; her sister, Felda (Dan) Heard; her sister-in-law, Jane (Don) Parsons; and her special cousin, Mary Catherine (Jim) Monroe along with numerous other cousins, nieces, and nephews. 

Helene passed away at her home at Arbor Oaks Retirement Community in Bryan on Monday, November, 13^th at the age of 91 after a seven-year battle with dementia.

The family would like to express their heartfelt thanks to her loving caregivers…Rosalind Hall, Kami Manuel, Brittany Mitchell, and Jamonica Jackson.

A memorial service will be held on Wednesday, November 29^th at 2 p.m. at Cooks Point Methodist Church. A private interment was held at the church cemetery on Wednesday, November 15^th.

Memorial may be given in her name to Cooks Point Methodist Church at 4902 Presidential Corridor East, Caldwell, TX 77836, or a charity of your choice.