WADIHA “DEE” MARGARET GILBERT
1943-2022
Wadiha “Dee” Margaret Gilbert passed away peacefully at home on April 16, 2022. Dee was born in Oklahoma City on July 24, 1943, to William Merhiege Farris and Marjorie Leona Boyles. She grew up in Tulsa with her mother and spent some of her youth in Kansas and Colorado. The oldest of four, she always recalled fond memories of her childhood spent with her brothers
Bill and Donald, and sister Marcia. She graduated from the Monte Casino College Preparatory School in Tulsa in May 1961 and married Emile Farhood in August of that year.
Dee and Emile moved to Houston in 1961 and had two children, Tracy and
EJ. Through the 1960s and early 1970s, she worked as a construction & general manager for J.J. Construction Company, managing apartment complexes throughout the city. During this time she cultivated a lifelong friendship with John and Shirlee Jamail who were better known to the family as Uncle John and Aunt Shirlee. From 1974 to 1986 she owned and operated The Golden Camel, a furniture, bedding and accessory store. She had a sharp eye for decorating and a knack for sales, serving as one of the top salespersons of Serta mattresses in Houston through the ‘70s and ‘80s. She later worked as an account executive selling legal records and ended her professional career as a property supervisor for commercial real estate in Houston.
Dee was a generous person who volunteered her time in the thoracic unit at MD Anderson Cancer Center and in the neonatal unit at Texas Children’s Hospital. She loved attending the rodeo with her friends and family and volunteered for many years as a judge on the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Arts Committee. She was a devout member of St. Martin’s Episcopal Church, dedicating her life to her faith. Dee was described by all who knew her as a gracious host who was warm, welcoming, and always threw a great party.
In 2007, Dee married Earl Gilbert. They traveled extensively and she would recount vivid stories of their vacations. She was a patron of the arts in Houston, as well as a regular at museums, theaters, and galleries. She was an accomplished oil painter, specializing in still lifes and portraits. Of all her accomplishments, she was most proud of her role as mother to EJ and Tracy and “G.G.” or “groovy grandma” to her grandson David.
Dee is survived by her daughter Tracy Sackllah (and husband Jimmy), her son EJ Farhood, her grandson David Sackllah (and wife Claressa), her brothers Bill Farris (and wife Lisa) and Donald Farris, her niece Monica Wooten Kelly, her nephew Matthew Farris, and her goddaughter Cynthia Bassett, as well as numerous extended family members and friends. She is preceded in death by her husband, Earl, her parents, William and Marjorie, her stepmother Louise Farris, and her sister Marcia Wooten.
A memorial service will be held at St. Martin’s Episcopal Church, 717 Sage Road, on Tuesday, May 3 at 2 pm, followed by a reception in the church fellowship hall.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to St. Martin’s Episcopal Church, St. George Orthodox Christian Church, or any breast cancer research center of your choice. (St. Martin’s Episcopal Church will not accept flowers.)