Terrance (Terry) Wilmore Hudson

DECEMBER 2, 1932 – AUGUST 12, 2024

Terrance Wilmore Hudson of The Woodlands fell asleep in the Lord on August 12, 2024, at the age of 91, ending his battle with Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS), with his devoted wife Helen Irene (Klinker) Hudson by his side.

Terry was born on December 2,1932 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma to Reginald Wilmore Hudson and Lillian Mae (Snider) Hudson. He and his family were active parishioners of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Cathedral. He graduated from Bishop John Carroll High School where he is remembered for being a faithful Altar Server, the team manager of the basketball team, and his baritone singing voice with his best friends in the barbershop quartet "The Hardly Worth Waiting For."

After high school, Terry attended Oklahoma State University where he received his Bachelor of Science degree in Personnel Management. He furthered his education at Purdue University in Lafayette, Indiana where he received an M.A. in Personnel Research.

While pursuing his studies at Purdue, he was set up on a blind date with Helen Klinker. A reluctant date turned into a lasting marriage of 68 years. They married at The Cathedral of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception on October 15, 1955, in Lafayette, Indiana.

After finishing his degree, doing basic training in Ft. Benning, Georgia, and six weeks after marrying Helen, Lt. Hudson was sent to Korea in December of 1955 just before his 23rd birthday. He served on the Line of Demarcation at the 38th Parallel for several months before being promoted to a position in Pusan Harbor, Korea, where he scheduled and guided the USO Troupe headlining Rita Moreno, who entertained the U.S. troops in Korea.

Once honorably discharged from the Army in 1957, Terry and his wife Helen moved to Houston, Texas where Terry worked with Armco Steel for 27 years. When Armco shut down their plant in Houston, Terry, as the Director of Human Resources, helped several hundred displaced steel workers find new jobs. Terry's success caught the attention of the Houston Job Training Partnership Council who asked him to lead their initiative in creating job training and placement programs for traditionally demographically challenged populations. He accepted the challenge, left Armco Steel, and became the Executive Director of the award winning, nationally recognized organization known as Houston Works USA. Terry worked tirelessly in this position of leadership for 25 years before he finally retired.

While he achieved great success in the public and the private sectors, his greatest love, besides his roles as Daddy, Papa, Grandpa Terry, and Awfau, was his love for Our Lord and his faith as a Roman Catholic. Terry was a lector for many years at the Sacred Heart Co-Cathedral, and he was a generous donor to the construction of the new Co-Cathedral. Furthermore, he gave generously not only to the Church, but to organizations such as Unbound, St. Vincent de Paul Society, and especially to many friends and family in need.

In his private life, Terry would daily wake-up in the early hours of the morning to read his Bible and meditate on God's word, pray for his work and his family, and then go to daily Mass before starting a long workday. Besides reading His Bible and praying with his Missal, he was inspired by Charles Stanley's television teachings and monthly In Touch publications and the books My Utmost for His Highest and Jesus Calling. Everything he did was guided by the Holy Spirit and his belief in Jehovah Jireh (the Lord will provide). Even as his body fought against him as he declined, Terry leaned on the memories of these teachings and meditated on the prayers of the Our Father and the Hail Mary to give him strength.

Terry is preceded in death by his brother Rev. Father Richard Hudson, a Deacon who became a Priest after the death of his wife Vera Hudson, and Terry's brother-in-law Henry "Hank" Boecker, the husband of his beloved sister, Mary Hudson Boecker.

Terry is survived by his loving wife, Helen Hudson of The Woodlands, Texas; his daughter Mary Michele Hudson; his daughter Melissa Beaumont of The Woodlands, Texas; his daughter Emily Crawford and her husband Walter Crawford III of Keller, Texas; his sister Mary Boecker of Georgetown, Texas; his granddaughters Mary Melissa Hudson, Kristen Koklis, Elizabeth Crawford, Abigail Crawford, Catherine Crawford; his grandsons Kevin Koklis, Walter "Will" Crawford IV, Mitchell Crawford, and Isaac Crawford; his nephews Michael Hudson and his wife Doris, Steve Boecker; his nieces Diane (Boecker) Redmond, Christine Randall; his grandnephews Dave Redmond and Mark Redmond; his grandnieces Julia Boecker and Rachael Redmond.

The family would like to thank Fr. Pat Garrett and Fr. Kailis Hivale for their loving spiritual care, Jim and Mary McMartin for their friendship and help, and the staffs of St. Luke's Hospital, Avanti Senior Living and Memory Care, the staff of Vital Caring, and Devotions Hospice who cared for Terry in his final days.

In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting donations be made to Sts. Simon and Jude Catholic Church or to St. Vincent de Paul in Terry's memory.

A Visitation for Terry will be held Thursday, August 22, 2024, from 5 PM to 8 PM at Klein Funeral Home in Magnolia, 14711 FM 1488, Magnolia, TX 77354, with a rosary to start at 7 PM.

The Funeral Mass will occur Friday, August 23, 2024, at 10 AM at Sts. Simon and Jude Catholic Church, 26777 Glen Loch Dr, The Woodlands, TX 77381. Immediately after the Mass, military honors will be given to Terry. A reception will then follow in Domec Hall at the church.

For those unable to attend the Terry's Mass of Christian Burial, they can either live stream or watch the recorded Mass using the following links: Live Stream on Youtube Live Stream on Facebood