Pamela Jean Carey, a Brownwood native whose life centered on family, gardening, music and ranching, died Sept. 22, 2026. She was 75.
Her family will host a private memorial service at a later date. Heartland Funeral Home in Early is handling arrangements. The family is accepting online condolences, memories and tributes through Heartland Funeral Home.
A life rooted in Brownwood and family
Carey was born Pamela Jean Perkins on Jan. 26, 1951, in Brownwood to Edwin G. Perkins and Bettie J. (Mathews) Perkins. She attended school in Brownwood.
She loved working in her yard, growing flowers and maintaining a large garden. Family was her greatest love, and she enjoyed cooking for relatives and hosting gatherings, including barbecues. Music, dancing and singing along were also among the activities shared by the family.
Ranching years in Ebony
In 2006, Carey moved to Ebony, Texas, where she worked full time on a ranch with her father. The following year, she reconnected with a former classmate, Mike Carey. They married in 2010 and continued ranching and raising cattle.
Carey’s father died in 2012, and Mike died in 2015. Mike’s brother, Danny, later became her companion and soulmate. He died in 2022.
Survivors and family remembrance
Carey is survived by three sons, Robby and his wife, Gena; Joey and his wife, Beth; and Shaun and his wife, Della; one daughter, Tammy and her husband, Tim; 10 grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; a brother, Randy and his wife, Dawn; and a sister, Brenda.
She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, companion and granddaughter, Dakota Hopper.