Gwaltney, Doris Elaine

  Elaine Gwaltney, a retired executive of Texas Health Resources, passed peacefully on January 19 at Texas Health Plano.   She was 79 years old (three weeks shy of 80.)  Gwaltney grew up in Grand Saline, TX, where she graduated high school and her parents, Lois and Marlin Burges, owned two businesses, and lived the remainder of her life in the Dallas area.

    A graduate of Tyler Junior College, Baylor University, and with a master’s degree from Texas A&M Commerce, Gwaltney began her career as a teacher in the Dallas Independent School District.  Further job moves were to Dallas Federal Savings and Loan, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, S&A Restaurant Corp. (a Pillsbury subsidiary), then to a health care consulting firm before finishing her career with 20 years at Texas Health.  At the large health care organization, she headed the communications and brand management division.  Gwaltney received many awards from healthcare Marketing Report, Telly, and TOPS.  She received the lifetime achievement award from the Association of Women in Communications and Business Woman of the Year from the Business and Professional Women’s Club of Dallas.  She was a volunteer in The Storehouse and Career Care at St. Andrew Methodist Church in Plano, for Cancer Support Community North Texas, and Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas.  

 She is survived by stepson Joe Gwaltney and wife Kim of Tennessee, three grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, and many cousins.

 A memorial service will be held at 11:00 on January 30th at St. Andrew Methodist Church in Plano.  An urn interment will be at a later date at Woodside Cemetery in Grand Saline, Texas,where her parents are buried.

 In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the Storehouse of St Andrew Methodist Church of Plano or to the Texas Health Foundation.