Mayda Annette Depwe

Published 5:12 pm Tuesday, August 31, 2021

Mayda Annette Depwe, 87, of Port Arthur passed away peacefully at her home in Beaumont on Friday, August 27, 2021.

Mayda was born on December 29, 1933 in Frederick, Oklahoma to Chester and Rachel Cruse.

At an early age the family moved to California where she grew up. Mayda publicly confessed Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior in 1945 at the Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church in Los Angeles.

Mayda graduated from Eagle Rock High School and then furthered her education at UCLA where she received both her AA and BA.

She then pursued her M. Ed. in psychology at Stephen F. Austin in Nacogdoches.

Mayda was employed by the Port Arthur ISD and Orange ISD as a teacher, counselor and administrator.

She was in numerous state and national professional organizations, including Phi Beta Kappa Society.

She was a classical musician who always looked forward to playing piano for both the Presbyterian and Baptist churches.

She thoroughly enjoyed watching her Cowboy and Bruin games.

Mayda was married to Raymond Depwe for over 50 years and helped establish his successful business, Soutex Surveyors, in Port Arthur.

She was a kind soul who put others before herself.

Mayda loved and appreciated her caregivers Ivony, Dinora, Sofia, Elcie and the care provided by Harbor Hospice.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Raymond Depwe; parents, Chester and Rachel Cruse and brother, Chester Mack Cruse.
Mayda is survived by her nephew, Stephen Cruse and wife Mendy; niece, Nicole Chase and husband Chris; great-nephew, Brandon Chase; great-nieces, Delaney Cruse and Lauren Chase and sister-in-law, Jean Cruse.

Those wishing to make memorial contributions can send them to First Baptist Church of Groves Scholarship Fund, P.O. Box 937, Groves, Texas, 77619 or to The Museum of the Gulf Coast, 700 Proctor Street, Port Arthur, Texas, 77640 in honor of Mayda A. Depwe.