Sister Clarice Gray Carlisle was born to the parentage of Rip Gray and Sadie Hurd Gray, on May 20, 1937 in the Woodlawn, Texas community. She attended the Morning Star School in Woodlawn and graduated from H.B. Pemberton High School, Marshall, Texas in 1954. She was a member of the Mt. Zion Baptist Church and became the "church mother" in her later years.

As a young woman she married Earnest Williams and one son was born to this union. Later in life she entered into holy matrimony with Nolan Carlisle. They were married until his death.

Sister Carlisle was a strong, hard working woman that held a job until her health began to deteriorate. She was very proud to be a breast cancer survivor of over ten years. She was a good mother to her sons and a nurturing mother figure to a niece and five nephews when their mother (her sister) passed.

She will always be remembered as a person who would help others whenever she could. Mrs. Carlisle departed this life on September 25, 2019 at home surrounded by her family. She is preceded in death by her parents; husband, Nolan Carlisle; sister, Louise Gray Booker; brothers, Karl and Clifford Gray. She is also preceded in death by a special nephew, Willie Booker, Jr.

She leaves to mourn her passing two sons, Marcus (Cathy) Williams and Carlyson Gray of Marshall; sister, Mary (Dan) King of Woodlawn; step-daughter, Rosemary Carlisle of Dallas; aunt, Pansy Dawson of Fort Worth. Family she nurtured as her own, Paula Curry (McKinney), Michael (Victoria) Gray (The Colony), Cedric (Stephanie) Gray, Corey Booker and Kelvin (Cora) Booker of Lewisville. She leaves a number of nieces, nephews, and other relatives and friends.