Article: Choose Joy Every Single Day
Choose Joy Every Single Day
I was a journalism major and writing is one of the ways I like to “work things out” with grief is with writing. I was honored to help write Chad’s obit and I’m sharing my speech from Sharkey’s celebration of life and some special words about one of my fierce besties, Melita.
Life is precious and all three of these dear souls lived it to its fullest with humor, smiles and wonderful heartfelt laughter.
CHAD HEATH CONREY OBITUARY
Chad Heath Conrey aka “Smokey,” beloved husband, father and friend peacefully passed away at home surrounded by his loving family and dogs that he so fiercely cherished after a three-and-a-half-year battle with cancer. Chad had a remarkable gift for forming genuine friendships. He had a profound impact on all who knew him, offering love, empathy, integrity, loyalty and his infectious laughter was contagious. He was rock solid. He used to joke that it took him eight years to graduate from college because while others had their noses in a book, he prioritized building meaningful relationships.
Chad was unapologetically himself, expressing his thoughts and opinions openly and bluntly, no matter the circumstances or the company. He never tried to be anyone other than who he truly was… authentic and sincere. Chad was a rare breed. He was a straight shooting, honest and loving man who expected a lot from those around him, but never more than he was willing to give in return. He had a unique zest for life. He was an avid outdoorsman and enjoyed being outside, camping, hunting, fishing, paddling, scuba diving, watching the sunset and gazing at the stars. He treasured his time in nature, especially in his beloved state of Texas. That is where his commitment to conservation flourished, and he was proud of his service as a board member of the Devil’s River Conservancy.
Chad was an incredibly gifted athlete. He grew up racing BMX bikes, won the state championship for mountain biking, and became a Category 2 road bike racer. It was on the track and on the road where he cultivated his competitive spirit and developed his mental and physical endurance that would benefit him throughout his life.
He carried the same intensity into his professional career. He thrived in the medical device industry where he was highly regarded as a leader and mentor. His tireless efforts were fueled by his desire to help educate the surgeons, hospitals, and OR teams to deliver the best technology and service to ensure the highest level of care for their patients. He especially enjoyed cultivating strong relationships with surgeons and scrub techs alike. Chad recognized that everyone had something to contribute to this world, regardless of their education level or background.
Chad had a passion for working lands and became an accomplished horseman. He was honored to be a lifetime member of both the Houston and San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeos. But perhaps the organization that meant the most to Chad was his beloved Tejas Vaqueros. This brotherhood not only offered him time in the saddle, surrounded by good men and beautiful horses, but deep, lifelong friendships and of course a perfect excuse for a bit of tomfoolery. The Vaqueros quickly became his extended family, and during their excursions Chad created beautiful memories with his youngest daughter, Emmy, on their “Daddy Daughter” rides and hunting trips. These shared experiences help shape her love for horses and working lands.
Chad (Smokey, Papi) deeply adored all three of his girls. They were the twinkle in his intensely blue eyes, and the spring in his step. Everything he did, he did with them in mind. He worked hard to provide them with a safe and secure home, always led by example and served as a reliable and true anchor in their lives. He was immensely proud of Riley, Lucy, and Emmy as they grew from girls into young women. He was a guiding force in their lives and will remain so even in his passing.
It would be hard to find a man who loved a woman as much as Chad loved Hillary. Their mutual love, respect, and devotion was an inspiration for all who knew them. Their feelings for each other ran deep, and the strength of their relationship, even amid his health struggles, was remarkable. They fit together like two pieces of a puzzle, seamlessly committed to embracing the joys and sorrows that life gave them.
Chad truly loved helping others. After his diagnosis, Chad transformed what could have been a time of despair into an opportunity for spiritual growth and deepened friendships. He delivered messages of hope, resilience, and gratitude to those around him. A dear friend pointed out that Chad had “The Bison Mentality.” Unlike other animals that run from a storm, bison run directly into the storm. This behavior is instinctive and strategic and helps them get through bad weather faster. The Bison Mentality is a powerful metaphor for the importance of confronting life’s difficulties with bravery and tenacity, and Chad embodied the Bison Mentality to his core.
Chad’s character was a beautiful blend of toughness and kindness making him a guiding light and bedrock for many. He strove for excellence in all that he did and encouraged others to do the same. Chad will be remembered not just for his accomplishments, but for the love he shared and the deep friendships he cultivated with relentless enthusiasm. May we all hold a little of his rascally spirit and that infectious laugh in our hearts forever!
He is survived by his loving wife Hillary, daughters Emmy, Lucy and Riley, wonderful parents Pauline and Roy McCharen, and Chip Conrey, Grandmother Eileen Anderson. As well as many loving aunts, uncles, cousins, in-laws…. ‘cowboys and outlaws, right men and southpaws, good dogs and all kinds of cats’.
Rest easy compadre. Vaya con Dios, Smokey.
SARA WALKER SPEECH
I’m Margaret Walker, Sara was one of my best friends, room mate, pledge sister. It’s an honor to speak. I am going to read this so I don’t go off script and talk about mountain goats. The word on the street is that I can mention cigarettes and chardonnay. California Yall blew us away with your service – You are right as Texans we do think we are the best, but yall just knocked it out of the park on the celebration of life pun intended – the oracle stadium, the Grateful Dead, the testimonies of friends and family, we really got to know Mark, Johnny and Sara and their beautiful, fun loving, sports loving spirits, SUCH a beautiful tribute LOVE of everyone coming together to show their love and support of the Walkers.
Giorgio Armani said Elegance is not about being noticed, It’s about being remembered.” We will always remember Sara’s elegance. We never really called Sara, Sara. Sharkey or Shark. She embraced her nickname and would leave a sweet message – hey it’s Shark just checkin on you. Sara was a beautiful friend. She had a knack for saddling up to you and really catching up on all the things, very sweet to ask all about what YOU had going on, wholeheartedly because she cared. she loved sisterhood of camp and of pi phi. We felt like sisters. Sara was positive, loyal, loving, kind. We truly did not know who she did not like because she was genuinely kind to everyone and never, ever never spoke poorly of anyone. She’d giggle and cackle and occasionally snort with laugher if someone was poking fun or telling a wild tale of some mutual acquaintance AKA talkin smack on someone, but Sara so eloquently would always take up for folks and always highlight the best of them. She loved catching up with her Texas girls. She had so many friends and was always keen to comingle friend groups. TOTAL Friend uniter. She was a rascal and wild child in college. But always the epitome of a lovely lady – there is no evidence of cigarettes or chardonnay in any photos of Sara. Because TAPP. That aint pi phi. I can’t say the same for myself and some of the rest of you here. If this tragedy can teach us another thing – it is to totally unequivocally treasure your friendships. Say yes to the dinners! We got to have dinner with Sharkey in San Antonio right before Recently right before Sara dropped Ellie off at Waldemar. Ellie and Sarah have treasured the friendships born from camp. I know these girls and moms will continue to lift up, support and love Ellie for perpetuity. Speaking of Waldemar, we were talking about their cult, I mean tribe.. And what it meant to be the “Ideal Waldemar girl “– something that all Waldemar girls thrive to be. I asked Sara – well, you seem like you could have been the ideal Waldemar girl and she said oh heavens no, I got caught chewing gum. We all laughed about how stringent the standards of the ideal Waldemar girl were back in the day. Sara was the best roommate – always game to let you borrow her clothes, her Cetaphil, DEFINITELY her camarooooooo!! Sara drove a Camaro. We discovered that if you put the car in neutral and rev the gas pedal then jam it into drive, that, ladies and gentlemen is how you “peel out” – peeling out in front of cain and abels, nasty’s, dirty martins, you name it, we peeled out there. I think at some point Sharkey put the cabosh on this shenanigan, but it was fun while it lasted. Shark was up for ANYTHING. Should we go to nuevo Laredo right now? Yes, definitely. Do you want to go to my beach house in bolivar with double bed bunkbeds and only one window unit for spring break? Abso- freakin-loutely. Should we go to Danielle’s family’s condo in Cabo for Spring break and dance at el squid row, you betcha!!! She was always up for adventure and she was always up for just simple hanging out – like let’s go get a bean and cheese at taco C! Another SWEET college perk of being beties with Sharkey was - We also got to enjoy many an afternoon on lake Austin on the Sharkey family boat. Are you kidding me? We were living it up. At first we would try and find a college “guy” friend who could drive a boat. If you ask any college aged kid if he wants to drive around a boat full of girls the answer is going to be a resounding yes. We discovered – not really – none of them could like totally drive a boat that well, so we’d just do our best. Guess what, it’s really hard driving a boat into a boat slip, anddd we banged that boat up pretty well. I don’t remember, but I’m pretty sure we always kept our boat privelges. Sharkey was an incredible daughter. As an only child she was very serious about her daughter duties. I remembered her calling dad and ask what are you up and he’d always say Oh just sharpen pencils. She adored her dad and was so delighted to name Johnny after her father. Carolyn was a wonderful mother and we all wanted to get approval from her. We’d meet her for lunch on the reg and shopping, dinner at headliners club. If you got a stamp of approval from Carolyn you were definitely good stock! I know Sara is definitely beaming from heaven with appreciation of how dear her high school friends have been to insert themselves into the care and love of Carolyn and Ellie. Absolutely precious friends. Enter Mark Walker : It was so exciting once she met Mark, a stud California boy : smart (hello STANFORD), handsome, athletic – with Sally’s stamp of approval we all agreed he was worthy of our Austin, Texas Queen of the Admirals. A crown we always reminded her of – our queen of the Admiral ball never took status too seriously – she was also kind of an awesome hippy and a bit of a groover. She was the perfect mix!! Sara Sharkey Walker was just an all-around awesome human. Her footprint spread far and wide and she is truly a person that I can say – everyone who knew her, loved her. I think Sara’s greatest pride was motherhood. once she had ellie and then johnny she was absolutely positively one of the best mothers I’ve ever known. Her kids were her top priority hands down, she absolutely adored them. Ellie you are a mini me of your mom.
Ellie, I lost my dad in high school when I was 17. The enormity of your loss doesn’t compare. But I do know a couple of things about grief and loss. I know without a shadow of a doubt that God comforts and gives strength to the broken hearted. Peace that passes understanding is real. Gratitude is being thankful for something once it’s already happened. Faith is being grateful when you are still in the middle of it. Faith is believing in the invisible – believing that God will get you through. Ellie, Carolyn, Tyler, Maria, I do not know why this happened, but I do know GOD will get you through. There is a GIFT of joy. Wrapped up in front of you and you just have to train yourself to open it. Come close to Him and he will come close to you. God is there to heal your broken heart. We are all here to grieve with you and surround you with our love.
A few years back I read a book with my bible study called Get out of your head, by Jennie Allen – its all about taking control of our thoughts. We have a choice. Everyday we have a choice. have the opportunity to choose joy. There is a difference between happiness and joy – everyday you may not be happy, but you can still have the joy of Christ in your heart. You can say to yourself, No matter what I’ve been through I can choose to shine God’s strength, joy, peace, love. I believe that when we submit our minds to Christ, the promises and goodness of God flood our lives in remarkable ways. Heaven is going to be awesome. This summer I traveled to Banf Canada. I had seen the ubiquitous photos of the vibrant turquoise lake Louise. This is not an advertisement for Canada, I’m trying to make it an advertisement for Heaven. Everywhere I looked I was overtaken with awe over the beauty. The concierge or national park’s map givers, would be like, yeah this is a really lovely hike and you hike to this little lake. We’d get to said lake and it would be the most vibrant hypercolor azul, turquoise, crystal clear wonderment that my eyes have ever seen. I told my husband we need to go back and give those travel advisors a lesson in enthusiasm – like HELLO – you have to go on this life changing hike. All through these experiences I kept thinking of Sara and Mark and Ellie and all those lost in the flood – I kept thinking and saying this is like heaven – this is like heaven. My heart was heavy and my sister always checking in on me kept saying this message: THEY ARE ALL IN HEAVEN. That’s the most important thing to remember – they are in eternal bliss and we will all be united again. And Heaven is more awesome than Banf.
Two things to remember, they are all in heaven in eternal bliss and you have a choice, flood your mind with Christ – in the book I read it said, “Spiral up” When you do that will shift your mind toward gratitude and you will learn and grow and thrive.
In honor of the lives lost in the floods, we have created a Texas Hill Country pin. All proceeds from the Texas Hill Country Pin will directly benefit the Ellie Bell Walker Charitable Fund in honor of Sara, Mark, and Johnny. Donate here.
MELITA MURPHY TYNG KEITH OBITUARY
Melita Tyng Keith passed away on November 3, 2025, after a lengthy and courageous battle with breast cancer. A seventh-generation Texan, she was born on October 30, 1972, in Houston, Texas. Melita attended Our Lady of Victory School in Victoria, Texas. She graduated from St. Joseph High School in 1991 and earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Texas at Austin, where she was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma.
Her love of adventure and the outdoors was a hallmark of her life. She spent thirteen summers at Camp Longhorn, where she formed life-long friendships. Whether she was hunting birds in South Texas, chasing Bonefish in the Bahamas, or taking a sunset drive with John, she embraced every moment with passion and joy. A natural-born wing-shooter, Melita was a fierce competitor at pigeon shoots, often walking away with the Calcutta purse and the hardware of the day. Above all, Melita cherished her time with family and friends. She was an inspiration because of her strong faith and positive attitude. Her warmth, infectious laugh, and adventurous spirit will be missed by all who knew her.
Melita was an active member of the community in both Victoria and San Antonio. She served as President of the Junior League of Victoria and was a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution. In San Antonio, she was a member of the Battle of Flowers Association, the Green Hand Garden Club, and the Los Festivos Club.
Melita was preceded in death by her father, Thomas Curran Tyng, her grandparents, Fred and Dorothy Curran Tyng, and William and Lucile Welder Murphy. Melita is survived by her husband of twenty years, John David Keith, her son, Jackson Tyng Scroggie, and her daughter, Lucile Welder Keith. She is also survived by her mother, Madeline Tyng Dodson, and her husband, James Dodson; her brother and sister-in-law, Thomas and Christine Tyng; her nephews, Tommy, James, and Henry Tyng; and many other relatives and friends.
The Mass of the Resurrection will be celebrated on November 11 at 2:00 pm at Our Lady of Victory Cathedral in Victoria, followed by burial in Memorial Park Cemetery under the auspices of Rosewood Funeral Chapel.
Donations in Melita’s memory may be sent to Our Lady of Victory School, 1311 E. Mesquite Lane, Victoria, TX 77901, or St. Andrews Church and School, Attention: Community Chaplain, 722 Robinhood, San Antonio, TX 78209
Melita was one of my spirit animals. Like the rascal’s mentioned above, she was game for anything and everything. She never ever met a stranger – she was a connector and a cheerleader and made you feel SEEN!! She loved to host and didn’t want you to wash one dish because she wanted to spend time being with you. She loved to delight her guests, gifts, treats, sunsets, al freso side of the river lunches. She loved to laugh, play games (we were never fast enough for her in mahjong, but she was patient enough to teach us). She would always point out, girls, this would never fly in Houston or Victoria, they would never play with blanks. She loved the outdoors, sundown drives, fishing, hunting, lounging by the pool. Her enthusiasm and ebullience was one of her greatest gifts. She adored her people, her children, John, her husband, her brother and mom AND her friends. To be her friend was to feel adored. She was one of those people who you’d introduce as your best friend and so would 20 other people. Her light shone so bright. She NEVER complained. She was TOUGH! When people told Chad, “man, you have fought so hard.” He’d say, “Have you met Melita Keith.” Towards her end, our dear friend Jennifer came to her bedside and brought, Debbie Chesney, our community chaplain for a sweet visit. Debbie has a life size stuffed Jesus that she hauls around in her car. Melita immediately asked her “where’s Jesus.” Debbie didn’t bring him in because she didn’t want to weird out Melita’s mom. Melita told her to go get Jesus. Jennifer played her Mercy Me’s song I Can Only Imagine. They played this at her funeral and every time I hear it I will feel comforted thinking of Melita meeting Jesus.
Lyrics:
I can only imagine
What it will be like
When I walk by Your side
I can only imagine
What my eyes would see
When Your face is before me
I can only imagine
Yeah
Surrounded by Your glory
What will my heart feel?
Will I dance for You Jesus
Or in awe of You be still?
Will I stand in Your presence
Or to my knees, will I fall?
Will I sing hallelujah?
Will I be able to speak at all?
I can only imagine
I can only imagine
I can only imagine
When that day comes
And I find myself
Standing in the Son
I can only imagine
When all I will do
Is forever, forever worship You
I can only imagine, yeah
I can only imagine
Surrounded by Your glory
What will my heart feel?
Will I dance for you Jesus
Or in awe of You be still?
Will I stand in your presence
Or to my knees will I fall?
Will I sing hallelujah?
Will I be able to speak at all?
I can only imagine, yeah
I can only imagine
Surrounded by Your glory
What will my heart feel?
Will I dance for you Jesus
Or in awe of You be still?
Will I stand in your presence
Or to my knees, will I fall?
Will I sing hallelujah?
Will I be able to speak at all?
I can only imagine, yeah
I can only imagine
I can only imagine, yeah-yeah
I can only imagine
I can only imagine
I can only imagine
I can only imagine
When all I will do
Is forever, forever worship You
I can only imagine
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” 2 Timothy 4:7-8
