Mary Wyley Williamson

Mrs. Lee Williamson died August 10, 2016, in Arlington, Texas. Funeral services will be held at the Episcopal Church of the Heavenly Rest, Abilene, Texas, at 10:30 am, Wednesday, August 24. Her cremains will be placed in the Columbarium of the Episcopal Church of the Heavenly Rest. Directed by The Hamil Family Funeral Home, 6449 Buffalo Gap Road. Mrs. Williamson, or Mary Wyley — as she was affectionately known to her friends, family and anyone who came to know her — was born to Ray and Audey Grisham in Frost, Texas in Navarro County, on December 23, 1920. The proximity of her birthday to Christmas was the source of one of her pet peeves: that she was shortchanged on presents, since certain individuals, who will go unnamed, would combine her birthday and Christmas presents. The family soon moved to Plainview, Texas, where she grew up and graduated from Plainview High School. While at Plainview High, she played basketball and sang in the school chorus and at church. After graduating she moved with her parents and two sisters, Audrea and Gwen, to Abilene, Texas. In 1938 Mary Wyley attended Texas Woman's University before transferring to the University of Texas, where she studied in the Home Economics department with noted chef Helen Corbitt and worked in the University Tea Room, a lab Corbitt created for her classes. Mary Wyley also studied in the music department and minored in voice. At Texas, she became and remained a fan of UT sports, especially football and baseball. Corbitt left the university in 1942 to serve as the chef for the Houston Country Club, and Mary Wyley joined her after graduating from UT in 1943 with degrees in Dietetics and Institutional Management. She worked as the kitchen manager at country club until she returned to her family in Abilene, where she met Dr. Lee Williamson, who had recently begun his medical practice. They were married on October 1, 1949, and honeymooned in New Orleans, where Lee had served his medical residency at Charity Hospital and had acquired a love for the regional cuisine. Mary Wyley applied her culinary skills to creole cooking and frequently made Cajun dishes such as jambalaya and chicken gumbo with sausage and okra, much to Lee's delight. Mary Wyley gave birth to her first son, Lee John, in July of 1950 and had her second son, Wyley Ray, in January of 1954. She was an attentive mother, always there with encouragement and sympathy and forgave her boys of their penchant for trouble-making and mischievous behavior. She was a member of the Episcopal Church of the Heavenly Rest and had served on the church Vestry and as president of the Episcopal Church Women of Taylor County, going on to become president of the Diocese of Northwest Texas Episcopal Church Women. Mary Wyley was a member of the choir and Altar Guild. Always an advocate for charities, she was a founder and charter member of the Junior League of Abilene and was active in the CK Chapter of PEO, a philanthropic organization dedicated to the advancement of women through scholarships, grants, and awards. Mary Wyley also served as a board member of the Abilene-Taylor County Welfare Department for 12 years, in addition to her membership on the board of the YWCA. She spent many hours as a volunteer at Thrift House, a charitable clothing store operated by the Church of the Heavenly Rest. She was also president of the Taylor Jones Haskell County Medical Auxiliary. Mrs. Williamson will be fondly remembered by those of survive her, including her sons John of Honolulu, Hawaii, and Wyley Ray and wife, Miriam, and granddaughter Marlee of Arlington, Texas, grandson Isaac Lee of Guam, granddaughters Ashley Williamson of Seattle and Rachel Williamson of Honolulu, niece Lynlee Sayles Darby of Buffalo Gap, Texas, and nephew Perry MacAlpine Sayles of New York City, New York , and close cousins, Bill Grisham of Lubbock, Texas, Robert and Jim Grisham of Dallas, Texas, and Aunt, Jon Ann Patton of Clyde, Texas. Memorials may be sent to donor's favorite charity or to the Episcopal Church of the Heavenly Rest, Abilene, Texas