Mary Alice Theis' Obituary
Mary Alice Theis, age 88, passed away Tuesday, September 22, 2020 at Anthology of Plano Assisted Living with her daughter, Elaine, by her side. Mary, or Mother Mary, as so many of her nieces and nephews called her, was born in Longview Texas on July 8, 1932 to Gracie and Hershal Hutcheson. Mary, was blessed to have 10 sisters and two brothers with which to share her laugher, fears, tears, dreams, and above all….love. Her family was very special to her throughout all of these years.
Mary had several major interests…Bowling, Bridge, the Dallas Cowboys, the Lobos, promoting Longview through her Longview Chamber of Commerce job, and of course her family. Mary started bowling in 1956 and bowled for for 50 years. Needless to say, she could out bowl her daughter, son-in-law, and grandsons, and many of her friends. She served as Longview Bowling Association’s League Secretary for many years and received too many plaques to count as the “Most Congenial Bowler”. She was fun and nice to all. Becoming a bridge player later in life, she gave it her all. She became the secretary of her Bridge Club at Preston Place and played two to three times a week. There are “fair weather fans” and then there’s Mary Theis. She never gave up on her “Boys in Blue” ever. Faithful to the end, she even watched bits of the great comeback this past week with the Falcons. Mary was a Longview Lobo and that was another great love of hers. She was the secretary for the 49’ers for years and kept everyone informed about their classmates. She truly loved her Lobo Buddies. While living in Mt. Pleasant, Mary’s work career started at Lone Star Steel. She graduated from a secretarial school and excelled at her typing and shorthand skills. She started as an executive secretary to the steel mill’s doctor, and that prepared her for her work with doctors in Longview, Robert Allen & Associates, Malloy & Bresie Architects, and she ended her career as an executive secretary and office manager with the Longview Chamber of Commerce. Foremost in her life was her immediate family with whom she was able to share many birthday and special holiday celebrations.
Mary was preceded in death by her mother and father, husbands, Charles Clifton Faircloth, Julius Elray Theis, and her sisters, Anna Lou Beard, Laura Evelyn Betts, Mildred Pauline Brooks, Hershal Howard Hutcheson, Helen Virginia Smith, and Carolyn Laverne Tanner.
Left to share her memory are her daughter and son-in-law, Elaine and Larry Howell of Dallas, grandsons Matthew and wife, Johanna, andCody and wife Julie, of Plano, and four precious great-grandkids, Gracie Kay Howell, Henry Wayne Howell, Emma Jo Howell, and Brooks Cameron Howell. Also sharing her loss are sisters Joyce Marie Williams, Sue Ann and Ben Boyd, Jane Lanelle Franklin, Virginia Gail Reed, June Ellen Stephens, William Thomas and Pat Hutcheson; beloved nieces and nephews, and so many cherished friends.
A graveside service will be held on Monday, September 28, 2020 at Lakeview Memorial Gardens at 1:00 p.m. under the direction of Rader Funeral Home in Longview. The family would like to extend their love and gratitude to all the caregivers, administration, therapists, and nurses at Anthology Assisted Living of Plano. Their daily care, love, and respect for our sweet “MiMi" and the support they gave to our family was endless. Also going beyond all expectations was Charlin Home Health, and later, Charlin Hospice. This phenomenal group was right beside us with care, hugs, and above all, prayers throughout this journey.
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