Catherine Terrell Dunkel (“Cathy”) passed away on February 20, 2022 in Temple, Texas. She was born on October 4, 1955 to Floyd Monroe and Mary Ann (Jones) Terrell in Fort Worth, Texas. Cathy lived with her parents and brother, Michael Terrell, and sister, Kayla Anderson, when they moved to Plano, Texas in 1967. Before she graduated from Plano High School in 1974, she met Frank Fant Dunkel, and they were soon married after graduation. She worked various odd jobs and helped out with her father’s company, Terrell Plumbing, in downtown Plano until her two children were born, Shawna Terrell Dunkel Easton in 1981 and Nathan James Dunkel in 1982. The family lived in Plano until they moved to the Allen area in 1988. After being a stay-at-home mom for several years, she worked at Story Elementary School in Allen, Texas, in Allen ISD as a kindergarten teacher’s aide, so she could be at the same elementary school as her children. In 1996, Cathy and her children moved to Lindale, Texas, and the children graduated high school there while Cathy worked at South Tyler Animal Clinic as head secretary and receptionist. With both children in college, Cathy moved back to the DFW area and was happy to start working for the City of Princeton. She worked in different branches of the city government, such as the Police Department, Parks and Recreation, and Economic Development, before being promoted to the position of Library Director. Even though Cathy didn’t read much, she loved this job and took care to ensure her city had the best access to books. She worked for the City of Princeton for 19 years until her retirement in August 2021. She enjoyed living on her own in an apartment in Allen until her unexpected death.
Cathy enjoyed watching television and movies and talking about them with her friends and family. Some of her favorite TV shows included Dallas, Yellowstone, The Love Boat, and Bewitched while some of her favorite movies included A Star is Born (the new one and the Barbara Streisand one), Rock Star, and Elvis movies. She also enjoyed traveling whenever she could, especially with her children, her father, and her cousin, Jackie Ford. Some of her favorite memories and stories to share were around her traveling experiences.
One of Cathy’s gifts was the gift of gab. She was very social and never met a stranger. While out and about around town or at other social functions, she would always run into someone she knew, or if she didn’t know someone, she would meet someone. Cathy was able to walk into a room, see who the “in crowd” was and get in with them almost immediately. She had a very likable personality and made friends fast and easily.
For most of her life, Cathy was involved in church. She went to church at Canyon Creek Baptist Church, First Baptist Church of Allen, and Lucas Christian Church, among others. Work and church is where Cathy met most of her friends and social circle. She was of Christian faith, and she loved the Lord with all her heart.
She is survived by her son, Nathan Dunkel of Plano, Texas; daughter, Shawna Easton, and husband, Chad, of Prosper, Texas; father Floyd Monroe Terrell, and wife, Pauline, of Plano, Texas; brother, Michael Terrell and wife, Vanda, of Kalispell, Montana; sister, Kayla Anderson and husband, Charles, of Princeton, Texas; and her beloved fur grandchildren, Fiona, Daisy, and Ranger; and a host of other loving family and friends, including her cousins Jackie Ford, Callie Ford, and Colby Ford, nieces Ann Marie Anderson and Brittany Terrell, and nephew Chris Terrell.
Cathy was preceded in death by her mother, Mary Ann Terrell, and a host of other family members, including her grandmother, her uncles and aunt, some cousins, her mother and father in law, and others.
A funeral service will be held at 2:00 p.m., Sunday, February 27, 2022 at Turrentine-Jackson-Morrow Funeral Home Chapel, 2525 Central Expressway North, Allen, Texas 75013. The service will also be live streamed at TJMfuneral.com on Cathy’s obituary page by clicking on the following link: https://celebrationoflife.tv/blog/catherine-terrell-dunkel. After the service, the recorded live stream will be available for viewing at the same link location. Interment will follow at Ridgeview Memorial Park in Allen, Texas. There will be a come-and-go event at Cathy’s apartment, 480 Bray Central Drive #304, Allen, Texas, from 4:00PM - 6:00PM following the funeral.
The family will receive friends for a visitation from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 26, 2022 at the funeral home.