Maxine Geldard Rawls, 76, Orange

Maxine Geldard Rawls, 76, passed from this life into life eternal on November 14, 2022. Graveside services will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 19th at Hillcrest Memorial Gardens in Orange. Maxine was born in Vidor, TX, the second child of Max and Shellie Geldard. She grew up in West Orange where she attended school, excelled in every endeavor, and became head twirler then Drum Major for the West Orange Chiefs. After High School, she attended business school in Houston, TX. Continuing to excel, she completed her studies in half the required time while also serving as a nanny for two children in exchange for her boarding. She then joined her father at DuPont Sabine River Works, assumed the loan her parents had taken for her education, then bought her first home, all by 20 years old. Maxine loved the Lord Jesus and was a faithful member of Second Baptist Church in Bridge City, then North Orange Baptist Church, where her great delight was playing the handbells for many years. After retiring from DuPont, she moved to Wiergate, TX where she attended Rayburn Baptist Church. She spent many happy years traveling, being a RV Work-Camper across the nation, and once returning to East Texas, enjoyed many hobbies which included square dancing, sewing, canning and crocheting. The thing she enjoyed most, however, was hosting her family at her home where they could hunt on her property, fish in her lake or simply relax and visit with each other. Maxine loved her family deeply and was always looking for opportunities to have everyone together. Her greatest joy in life was being together with family and she consistently and passionately participated in the lives of everyone she loved, most especially, her 6 grandchildren. Maxine was generous and kind to strangers and many became her friends because of her outgoing, genuine personality and hospitable southern nature. She was preceded in death by her father, Max Geldard, mother, Shellie Geldard and son Brian Rawls, all of Orange. She is survived by those she loved so well: her daughter, Janet Rawls, sister Eugenia Geldard McNeely, brothers Lani, Larry and Lauren Geldard, 6 grandchildren and many deeply loved nieces and nephews. In lieu of flowers, gifts made in remembrance to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ would be a reflection of her heart, such as The Gideons, Billy Graham Evangelical Foundation, Christian radio or television, etc.