Tressye Lee (Branch) Fort passed away on February 5, 2026, surrounded by her family at Cariad Northbrook Memory Care in McKinney at the age of 83. Born in McKinney at City Hospital on September 15, 1942, and raised in Prosper, Tressye and her parents moved back to McKinney where she graduated from McKinney High School in 1961.
On June 14, 1961, she married her beloved husband Loyd Eugene (Gene) Fort who preceded her in death on June 22, 2017.
Tressye is survived by son, Gregg Alan Fort and his wife, Nicci (Hays) Fort of Norman, Oklahoma; son, Darren Lee Fort and his wife, Debra (Johnson) Fort of McKinney, Texas; and grandson, Parker Johnson Fort also of McKinney, Texas and currently a student at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater. She was also preceded in death by her parents, O.L. Branch and Juanita (Self) Branch both of McKinney, Texas.
After her marriage to Gene and before becoming a mother of two, the role that truly defined her life, Tressye worked in downtown Dallas at Lone Star Gas. After Gregg was born in 1965, Tressye became a stay-at-home mom while also becoming an accomplished seamstress. She returned to work for the McKinney Independent School District after Darren began his education. Tressye worked as an aide in special populations at Slaughter, Caldwell, and Fitch elementary providing instructional support as well as a warm and nurturing environment for the students she so dearly loved. An only child, as she very was proud to tell you, Tressye then became the primary caregiver for both her father and mother as they aged.
Her true calling in life and the role she starred in was as a grandmother and Parker became the center of her world after he was born in 2005 and Mimi was always there for him.
The family will receive friends during a visitation on Tuesday evening, February 10, 2026, from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at Turrentine-Jackson-Morrow Funeral Chapel, 2525 Central Expressway North, Allen, Texas 75013. A Celebration of Life will be held at 2:00 p.m. Wednesday, February 11, 2025 at Turrentine-Jackson-Morrow Chapel in Allen with Dr. Tommy Brumett of the First United Methodist Church of McKinney officiating. The service will also be live streamed at TJMfuneral.com on Tressye’s obituary page by clicking on the following link: https://celebrationoflife.tv/blog/tressye-lee-branch-fort. After the service, the recorded live stream will be available for viewing at the same link location. Interment is to follow at Ridgeview Memorial Park in Allen. Pallbearers will be Robert, Rodney and Russell Curtis, Parker Fort, Gavin Johnson and Jim Shelton.
As an expression of sympathy and/or in lieu of flowers, donations may be to either Austin College, 900 N. Grand Avenue, Sherman Texas 75090 www.austincollege.edu. or the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, Tennessee 38105 www.stjude.org in the memory of Tressye Fort.