Funeral services for Mrs. Dorothy Brailas, age 88 , of Nacogdoches, TX, will be Friday, August 19, 2011 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church at 9:00 am with Father Brendan Pelphrey of St. George Orthodox Church in Shreveport officiating. Burial will follow at Sunset Memorial Park.
Dorothy Brailas
Mrs. Brailas was born on January 26, 1923 in Eastland, Texas to the late Katherine (Andrews) Pratley and Nicholas Pratley. She passed away on August 15, 2011 in Nacogdoches, Texas.
Dorothy graduated from Ball High School in Galveston in 1941. She attended Hillsboro Junior College and Sam Houston State Teacher’s College before graduating with a degree in education from the University of Texas. She received her master’s degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder. She married Louis Brailas on June 19th, 1949 in Galveston at Hellenic Orthodox Church. They made their home in Houston where Dorothy taught 6th and 4th grades for many years at Shearn Elementary School. She was a very dedicated teacher and was selected three times as teacher of the year. After retiring from HISD, she was a popular substitute teacher for 10 years at Annunciation Orthodox School. Dorothy and Louis moved to Nacogdoches in 1998. Mrs. Brailas was a member of Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Houston and the Nacogdoches Chapter of AARP.
Survivors include sons and daughters-in-law, Robert and Deborah Brailas of Austin and Dr. Jeffrey and Martha Brailas of Houston; daughter and son-in-law, Carrie and Dr. Gerard Ventura of Nacogdoches; sister, Helen Jelson of Houston; brother, Dr. James Pratley of Galveston; and five grandchildren , Christopher, Nicholas, and Matthew Brailas and Brian and Meredith Ventura. She is preceded in death by her husband and parents.
Active pallbearers will be Christopher Brailas, Nicholas Brailas, Matthew Brailas, and John Spencer. Visitation will be held on Thursday, August 18, 2011 from 5 until 7 pm at Laird Funeral Home with a Trisagion following at 7:00 pm.
Memorials may be made to Saint George Greek Orthodox Church 1719 Creswell Avenue Shreveport, Louisiana 71101 or Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral 3511 Yoakum Blvd Houston, Texas 77006 or Nacogdoches Treatment Center 119 Hughes Nacogdoches, TX 77961.
to the Pratley family,
I am sorry to hear about the passing of your mother, Mary Dorothy Pratley Brailas. May her memory be eternal.
Dotta and I are related. Nicholas Pratley and my father Nicholas D Vletas were first cousins. These two men were named for the same grandfather. Nicholas was my godfather when he and Katina lived in Eastland back in 1930.
Also, Helen Vletas Andrews is my first cousin. Helen married your Uncle Nicholas Andrews from Hillsboro tx.
Again, may Dotta ‘s MEMORY BE ETERNAL.
GOD BLESS THE WHOLE FAMILY
JoAnna Vletas Vlahakos