Mary Ellan Bishop Decoux

Mary Ellan Miller Bishop DeCoux, 98 of Groves passed away on Monday, February 7, 2022 at her home.

She was born on May 19, 1923 in Port Acres, Texas to Joseph Miller and Emma Marie Boudreaux Miller as the eleventh of thirteen children. Mary was a lifelong resident of this area. She graduated from Nederland High School in 1942. Mary began her career in the grocery business with De Spain Grocery in Port Neches followed by Lone Star Grocery on Gulfway and later at Henke and Pellot, which was bought by Kroger. She retired in 1984. During the war, she worked in the lab at Texaco from 1942-1946.

She was a longtime member of St. James Catholic Church where she was a very active member of the Ladies’ Altar Society and the Bereavement Committee.  She was also a Eucharistic Minister serving at Mass as well as bringing the Eucharist to the sick and homebound. For many years Mary volunteered at the International Seafarer’s Center and the Hospitality Center. She was also a member of DAWN ( Diocesan Association of Widowed Neighbors) as well as serving as the President.  She and her husband, Leo, prepared and cleaned the Chapel at St. Mary Hospital each week, Monday thru Friday, for the daily mass.

Mary received several awards during her lifetime.  Among them were The Golden Rule Award given by JC Penney, a cooking award in 2002 given by the Hospitality Center, the Volunteer Service Award for 2001-2002 given by the Sister Thea Bowman Academy at St. James, the Volunteer of the Year Award for 2001-2002 given by the Diocese of Beaumont Catholic Schools and the Citizen of the Year Award in 2004 given by the Port Arthur News.

She was preceded in death by her parents and her twelve siblings as well as her first husband, William Bishop, who died in 1979 and her second husband, Leo Clarence DeCoux, who died in January of 2022.

She is survived by her son, Glenn Thomas Bishop and wife Ann of Houston; two grandchildren, Stephanie Russell and husband Mark of Houston and William Bishop of Houston; two great granddaughters, Sarah Mae and Emma Russell;  her brother-in-law, Gus Toloudis of Fannett and numerous nieces, nephews, great nieces and great nephews.

Visitation will be on Saturday, February 12, 2022, from 9:00am till 10:00am at St. James Catholic Church in Port Arthur with a Rosary to be prayed at 9:30am. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:00am Saturday following the rosary. Burial will follow in Oak Bluff Memorial Park under the direction of Clayton Thompson Funeral Home in Groves.  A reception following burial will be held at Kirwin Hall.  In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. James Catholic Church or the Hospitality Center.