Mary Lee Headstream

Mary Lee Headstream passed away on August 13, at the age of 94. She was born on April 9, 1927, in Belton TX. She was the eldest of three daughters born to Lee and Mary Akers. Mary Lee grew up in Albany and Anson, Texas where she and her two sisters had a happy childhood and enjoyed all the adventures that small West Texas towns offered in the 1930s. Mary Lee graduated from Anson High School and went on to Texas Tech on a scholarship in textile engineering. She was one of the first women engineering students at Tech.  After graduation in 1948, with a degree in math, Mary Lee began a teaching career in Bryan, Texas, where she taught Physics, algebra, geometry, and calculus. She had a long and successful teaching career, then gleefully retired from the Abilene ISD in 1986.

After retirement, Mary Lee spent her time traveling the world with friends and spoiling her grandchildren and great grandchildren. Mary Lee enjoyed her role as the custodian of family stories and anecdotes, which she shared with much wit and humor. Mary Lee was preceded in death by her husband James, her parents, and her sister and brother-in-law Patsy and Marvin Sanders. Mary Lee is survived by her sister Anne (Gene) Steel of Spring and her four children: Dr. Tom (Teresa) Headstream of Abilene, Patti (Chris) Young of Austin, Becky (Jed) Crowe of Abilene, and Suzie (Joe) Peden of Bloomington IL. She is also survived by 15 grandchildren, 17 great grandchildren, and several nieces and nephews.

The family will receive friends from 7pm to 8:30pm on Tuesday, August 17, on the terrace at the Abilene Country Club. A private graveside service will be held on Wednesday, August 18, under the direction of The Hamil Family Funeral Home, 6449 Buffalo Gap Road.

If desired, Mary Lee requested donations be made to First United Methodist Church of Abilene. A special thanks to Hospice of the Big Country and the staff of Lyndale Memory Care.