Suellen Boyle Gratke

Suellen Boyle Gratke passed away on March 15, 2021 after 28 years of fighting cancer. She was born into a military family on March 19, 1942 in Portland, Oregon to Edward and Cecelia Boyle. Her family moved often and was stationed in cities all over the United States and in Japan and Germany. On Colonel Boyle's last assignment, the family settled in Fort Worth. Suellen graduated from Paschal High School in 1960. She earned a degree in Spanish from Arlington State College (UTA) in 1964. At the beginning of her senior year in college, she met Steve Gratke while working as an office assistant for Arlington State's engineering department. They married after graduation at Christmastime in 1964. Suellen and Steve made their home in Arlington. When their three daughters were in elementary school, she returned to UTA and earned a degree in Architecture/Interior Design. She and fellow graduate Mary Hayden formed G&H Interiors. Suellen had great taste and an excellent eye for style that showed in every detail of her home. In the late 1980s, she joined American Airlines and eventually became a training coordinator in the Domestic Sales Department. She loved her family fiercely, and after retirement, her life revolved around her seven grandchildren. She stopped strangers on the street to list their accomplishments and attributes. She and Steve took each grandchild on a special trip on their 12th birthday, taking them to fancy restaurants and landmarks in California, Pennsylvania, British Columbia, and Washington, DC. She attended countless sporting events, choir concerts, dance recitals, and she went to each of their high school graduations. She attended four college graduations and watched the youngest three mature into college sophomores. Suellen loved to cook, and she served elaborate meals—dinners for the entire family of 15, gourmet lunches during high school breaks, and lavish after school snacks. Suellen was continuously and infinitely generous with her time, her belongings, and her opinions. Her laugh was friendly and contagious, and will be greatly missed by family and friends. Suellen fought her first battle with breast cancer in 1994 and won. Again she won a 2001 breast cancer battle. In 2017 the cancer returned, and she fought valiantly until March 15th. The family extends its thanks to Dr. Elizabeth Pollard and Dr. Arundhati Harati and the staff of Medical City Arlington for their care and comfort over these last years. She was predeceased by her parents and by her brother Eddie (U.S. Navy, lost at sea in 1967). Left to carry on her legacy are her husband of 56 years, Steve, her three daughters and their husbands, Christina and Paul Nason, Karen and Tibor Pavleszek, and Kathy and Eden Martinez, and her seven grandchildren, Maggie, Abby, Allie, Katie, Annie, Mack, and Isabel. Wade Family Funeral Home 817-274-9233