Tresa Grant

Tresa Edington Grant, 78, passed away peacefully on December 12, 2025, in Dallas, Texas, with her younger daughter by her side. The eldest of four children, Tresa was born on March 23, 1947, also in Dallas, to Verna and Wilton Braxton ("Brack") Edington, who she and her siblings affectionately called "Mama and Daddy." Brack was a World War II Army veteran, an aircraft assembly technician and, later, a hobbyist cattle rancher. Verna was a homemaker who, having taken bookkeeping courses in college, expertly managed the family's finances. According to family lore, Verna had also been the first female in Oklahoma to work at a chicken hatchery determining the sex of baby chicks, a job requiring significant skill.
Tresa considered her mom to be her best friend and was grateful that her parents gave her the opportunity to take lessons in dance, piano, baton and art, all of which she enjoyed immensely. She was a wonderful big sister to her brother, Wilton, and two sisters ("the twins"), Dale and Gail. For most of Tresa's childhood, the family lived in Grand Prairie but frequently spent time in Honey Grove after her parents bought farmland there, and where Brack and Verna would eventually retire. Tresa's siblings recall that, growing up, she excelled in school, participated in numerous extracurriculars, and was friendly, well-liked and popular.
In 1965, Tresa graduated from high school as valedictorian and in 1968 earned a BA in mathematics with a minor in English from the University of Texas at Arlington. She married in 1968 and worked as a software engineer for several years before welcoming her first daughter, Denise, followed by her younger daughter, Kelly.
Tresa was fortunate enough to be a stay-at-home mom during her daughters' early years. She was a wonderful and loving mother, giving her daughters so many cherished memories. Like bedtime stories read in the bent-wood rocking chair, sometimes while sipping the teeniest, tiniest glass of Kahlua. Trips to the children's theater to see plays and musicals-and while settling into the car for the drive, always reminding her girls that they were "precious cargo." Her "Mommy" hair, which was a flattering wedge haircut, circa 1980s. (Kelly cried when Tresa changed her "Mommy" hair but, rest assured, ultimately recovered. Tresa had a habit of twirling her hair with her fingers, something Kelly adopted and still does often.) She had a way of appreciating and placing special significance on even ordinary objects and events, especially when it came to numbers, a trait Denise "inherited" and credits for making life a little more magical. There were lovingly and beautifully sewn clothes and costumes. Dedicated PTA and RIF (Reading Is Fundamental) service. And so much more.
Like many people, Tresa loved Christmas. For many years, she bought a poinsettia every December. She enjoyed decorating the tree and had even more fun when her daughters joined in. She always made Christmas morning really special for her girls, especially when they were young. And of course there was the annual, urgent reminder to "Save the bows!" as crumpled wrapping paper was discarded in the Christmas-morning aftermath.
Tresa met her second husband, Glenn, when they both worked at E-Systems, which was later acquired by Raytheon. Glenn pursued Tresa at first, with the song "I'm Gonna Get You (You're Gonna Love Me)" later holding special significance for them. Tresa and Glenn enjoyed traveling, dancing, dining out and spending time with close friends. Their "biggest" trip was to Australia, somewhere Glenn had traveled on business and was excited to share with Tresa. They enjoyed going to both formal dances and the occasional country-and-western dance club. They went out to dinner several nights a week, often with close friends. In true Edington fashion (that is, wisely frugal), Tresa always opted for water instead of the iced tea that Glenn would order. She wondered aloud more than once how much money that had saved over the years.
Tresa was loving, kind, compassionate, giving, intelligent and beautiful. She is survived by her daughters, Denise and Kelly, and their husbands, as well as her siblings and their families. She was preceded in death by her husband, Glenn, and her parents, Verna and Brack. She will be interred at DFW National Cemetery with Glenn, who was a retired U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel.
In lieu of flowers, for those so inclined, please consider making a donation in Tresa's memory to the North Texas Food Bank, which is one of the many charities she enjoyed donating to. Donors can opt to have an e-notification sent to Tresa's daughters at RememberingTresa@gmail.com.