"I have been looking at pictures of Deinise and Kim's graduation from high school. It is a great memory of those two starting out on their great adventure after high school. "
In loving memory of
Denise Marie Byington
September 24, 1964 - December 5, 2020
Denise Marie Byington September 24, 1964 - December 5, 2020
Denise Marie Byington, 56, passed away peacefully on December 5, 2020 at MD Anderson hospital. She was born on September 24, 1964 to Alonzo and Margot Byington in Misawa Japan. She returned to Texas in 1966 and was a proud Texan her entire life.
Denise grew up in Texas and Colorado, part of an extended loving family. She graduated from Arapahoe High School in Littleton, Colorado in 1982. After high school she attended Texas A&M University and graduated with a degree in finance in 1986. In 1992 she completed her MBA at the University of St. Thomas in Houston. She worked for Invesco as an equity trader and retired from J.P. Morgan Chase as Vice President, Equity Trader.
Denise married Humberto (Bert) Garcia in 1988 at St. Vincent's church in Houston, TX. They were happily married for 28 years until Bert's death in 2016. Denise and Bert were the proud parents of Caroline Marie Garcia.
Denise loved to travel and enjoyed fine art and food. She, Bert, and Caroline lived in London England from 2009 - 2012. During this happy period, they made many lifetime friends and enjoyed the art, culture, and food of Europe. Denise traveled to many countries with family and friends including Belgium, Canada, Costa Rica, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Mexico, and Russia. Denise completed the Camino de Santiago spiritual pilgrimage in 2018, walking 100 miles through Spain with her sister Carrie Byington and friends.
Denise was loved by many and will be remembered for her beautiful smile and her generous spirit. She loved her family and friends and appreciated their support through these difficult years. Though cancer dealt cruel blows, Denise remained strong in her faith, optimistic for future cures through research, and grateful for the life she lived with those she loved.
Denise is survived by her daughter Caroline Marie, her parents Al and Margot Byington, her siblings Carrie and Alan Byington and by many family members and friends in Texas and beyond, including her dear friend Jerry Mason. Denise was preceded in death by her husband Humberto Garcia.
A funeral mass, with attendance limited due to pandemic restrictions, will be held at Holy Ghost Catholic Church 6921 Chetwood Dr. Houston, TX 77801 at 10 AM on Friday, December 11, 2020. A memorial gathering and celebration of her life and spirit will be held for extended family and friends in the summer of 2021.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations be made to the MD Anderson Cancer Center for research or care related to pancreatic or lymphoma cancer, or to the Texas A&M University Engineering Medicine program.
Condolences may be left on Denise Byington's online guest book at DistinctiveLife.com.
Tributes
"Denise Byington was my best friend in High School. We lost touch after graduation but I have many wonderful memories of friendship and love from Denise and her loving and beautiful family. Denise was hilarious and had a terrific sense of the absurd. She loved the family cat Smokey ("Mokey"). I remember laughing with her for days when she heard a young 4-5 year old cousin or family friend describe Smokey saying "sure is a Taaall cat!". We would say that over and over and fall on the floor laughing. She also liked to quote weird music lyrics. One she particularly liked was "its a sad sad situation, getting more and more absurd". I think an Elton John lyric. Oh how true. On a much deeper level Denise and the whole Byington family gave me a sense of belonging and love during those tumultuous high school years. This has been incredibly important to me throughout the years. From being over at their house often to watch "Guiding Light" after school, or Sound of Music on the weekend. When Margot made me breakfast before going with Denise to an absurdly early medical literacy class at Heritage high school our senior year(she had no interest in medicine but joined me anyway), to backyard barbecues, to trash bag halloween costumes; my high school years would have been awfully bleak without Neesy and the Byington family. It sound like Denise had a wonderful life and I am particular happy about the Pilgrimage. What a wonderful thing to accomplish in any life. Please know my prayers are with Denise and all of you at this time. "
"Denise taught those lucky enough to know her what it means to love: ? It is also good to love: because love is difficult. For one human being to love another human being: that is perhaps the most difficult task that has been entrusted to us, the ultimate task, the final test and proof, the work for which all other work is merely preparation? it is a high inducement for the individual to ripen, to become something in himself, to become world, to become world in himself for the sake of another person; it is a great, demanding claim on him, something that chooses him and calls him to vast distances.? Rilke Letters to a Young Poet Letter 7 "