Myrtle Denise Washington

Myrtle Denise Washington was born January 31, 1957, and departed this life on May 30th, 2026, at the Medical City Dallas Hospice. Myrtle was born to the parents of Ben and Mary Garnett. She attended San Antonio Independent School District where she graduated from Phyllis Wheatley High School in 1975. She attended St. Mary’s University and went on to Galen Health Institute to earn her LVN nursing degree.

She accepted Christ at an early age, joined and became an active member of New Light Baptist Church under the leadership of Dr. P.S. Wilkerson, Sr. At New Light Myrtle served in the choir, Usher Board, and BTU. She later joined Church of the Living God, PGT and New Covenant Missionary Baptist Church where she was a member until her health began to fail and moved back to Richardson, TX.

She married Richard D. Washington and to that union they had two beautiful girls, Thelma Washington and Rita Taylor.

Myrtle brought her daughters up in church and would have them singing around the city. Myrtle was licensed to preach at the General Convention of the Church of The Living God. She was fondly known for leading the song “Coming up the Rough Side of the Mountain” Before her health declined Myrtle was the best Grandmother to Jamon and Quad. She would often keep them and spoil them no matter what the parents said.

While in San Antonio she worked for Federal Envelope, and Nix Hospital. When she moved to Tyler, she was employed at Trinity Mother Frances Hospital and later East Texas Medical Center (ETMC) and taught classes at Tyler Junior College.

Myrtle is proceeded in death by her parents, brothers Joseph Garnett, Ben Ray Garnett Sr., sisters – Bonita Hines, Lee Lois Roberts, Willie Mae Bell, and Grandson Joshua-Josiah Taylor.

She leaves to cherish her memory daughters Thelma (of Celina, TX) Washington and Rita (John, III) Taylor of Tyler. A brother James (Melody) Garnett of San Antonio, TX, sister Mamie Harrison, Grandson’s Jamon Washington, John L. Taylor, IV, Kaiden Horton, and Jeremiah Taylor and a host of nieces, nephews, and special friends.