'A life well lived': Funeral service for US Rep. Kay Granger held in Fort Worth

Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram on Aug 22, 2026

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FORT WORTH, Texas — U.S. Rep. Kay Granger’s legacy as a leader in North Texas and Washington was honored at a Saturday funeral service.

The pews of First United Methodist Church of Fort Worth were filled with family, friends and former colleagues as Rev. Danny Tenney delivered a homily outlining the congresswoman’s life’s work — her effect as a teacher who would eventually rise in the ranks of Congress, breaking barriers along the way.

“Let us celebrate a life well-lived,” Tenney said, leading guests in prayer. “Let us celebrate a life now lived in perpetual presence.”

Granger died peacefully at the age of 83, surrounded by family members, on Aug. 2 following an “aggressive late battle with Alzheimer’s,” according to her obituary.

Her casket sat at the front of the church, draped with an American flag. An organist played “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee” during a processional at the start of the ceremony.

Granger, remembered as tough but fair, joined Congress in 1997, representing Texas’ 12th Congressional District. She held the office for nearly three decades, climbing the ranks in Washington to eventually become the chairwoman of the powerful House Appropriations Committee.

She was the first Republican woman to hold the leadership role — adding to her accolades of serving as Fort Worth’s first female mayor and the first Republican woman to represent Texas in the U.S. House.

Much of her time in Congress was marked by her focus on the defense industry and Fort Worth, including her work around the Central City Flood Control Project, often called the Panther Island project.

Granger announced she wouldn’t seek reelection in November 2023. Near the end of her time in office, it was reported that she was experiencing health challenges.

A private service for family and invited guests will be Monday in Fort Worth.

Granger was humble, Tenney said. He urged others to mirror her best qualities: Putting others before self and focusing on unity for the common good.

“She lived a life worth being copied,” U.S. Rep. Roger Williams, a Texas Republican, said after Saturday’s funeral.

Other elected officials in attendance included Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker, U.S. Rep. Craig Goldman, U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey and U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions.

Veasey and Goldman recently introduced a memorial resolution in Washington that was cosponsored by members of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas.

“We worked on things that were good for Fort Worth, and it was almost like she was still our mayor when she was a member of Congress,” said Veasey, a Fort Worth Democrat.

The two never talked about partisan issues, he said.

“We were just two people from Fort Worth who got along really well,” Veasey said.

Her legacy will last for lifetimes, said Parker, who worked as an aide for Granger and on her campaign.

“She was truly one of a kind,” Parker said.

Granger’s trailblazing life is well-known, but her son JD Granger, speaking on behalf of his siblings Brandon Granger and Chelsea Hughes, paid tribute to his mother with accounts of her everyday life.

“She was a very normal person,” JD Granger said, describing struggles that he said made her relatable and down to earth.

She was funny, he said, recounting stories that offered levity to the emotional day. Stories of childhood rules, clothing snafus and Granger as a grandmother got laughs from listeners.

“That was our mom, and that was your Kay,” JD Granger said, reiterating her belief that ordinary people can do extraordinary things during his remarks.

He ended his comments by emphasizing his mother’s love of Fort Worth and those there to honor her.

“She loved you, and Mom, we love you,” he said.