Mary Genevieve Mccrary

Mary Genevieve Cline McCrary, daughter of the late Rufus and Cleona Cline, was born in California during the Great Depression on August 10, 1933. At 88 years young, she passed away peacefully early Sunday, May 1, 2022. Mary was the youngest daughter in a family with 11 children, and she was one of the first in her family to attend college. A life-long advocate for national service, she went on to join the U.S. Army where she served in the Korean War’s combat theatre as an operating room technician. Mary was later awarded the National Defense Service Medal, and in 2019, she flew on Honor Flight DFW #41 with her son, who also served in the U.S. Army.

On December 28, 1957, Mary married the late Thomas Franklin McCrary in Los Angeles, California. Before moving to Texas in 1967, Mary and her young family were stationed around the world. They lived in Hawaii and later Kwajalein, Marshall Islands. Mary was a resident of Arlington, Texas for 55 years.

In Texas, Mary joined the Army National Guard of Texas and worked full-time as a technician at the Army Aviation Support Facility. She was also a government contractor for Bell Helicopter. During this time Mary returned to college, eventually graduating from Antelope Valley College. In 1993, Mary retired as a Staff Sergeant, joined several local organizations, and bought an RV so that she could travel across the U.S.

Though technically retired, Mary always stayed busy. She was a member of the National Active and Retired Federal Employees for more than 30 years, and for 20+ years, she also volunteered at the Arlington Visitor Welcome Center. She served as the Sunday School director and was then on the Flower Guild at her local parish churches. Toward the end of her life, she joined St. Peter and St Paul Anglican Church because she liked the priest, but also because she could confidently—and quickly—drive her little red car there and back every weekend.

Mary loved to recount stories of her time (and misadventures) in the military and living in assorted corners of the world. Despite the miles that separated them, Mary maintained close relationships with her siblings and family by writing or calling regularly. She delighted in her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and she generally tolerated her great-granddogs. She was known to regularly send care packages, which were usually filled with extra socks, prayer cards, newspaper clippings, and handwritten letters. Mary usually kept a crystal dish of Wether’s nearby, and she never met a pie she didn’t like. Her grandchildren spent the last 10 years or so sneaking her pieces of pie from Jay Jay Cafe any chance they got.

When she wasn’t reading Tom Clancy novels, she enjoyed working on jigsaw puzzles with family, especially her son-in-law, John. She preferred her combat boots, but she still wore pearls and lipstick. Mary faithfully got her strawberry blonde hair curled and pinned, and even more faithfully—she attended church every week and prayed every day. Toward the end of her life, Mary often expressed joy that she would soon reunite with her beloved, Tom, and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Mary is survived by her daughter, Margaret Gwen McCrary Hearn, and husband John of Arlington, Texas, and twins—daughter, Theresa Faith McCrary Sheck of Oak Harbor, Washingon, and son, Thomas Franklin McCrary, Jr., and wife Vickie of Fort Worth, Texas. She had nine grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. She is also survived by her older sister, Doris Findley, and younger brothers, Sherman Cline and Glenn Cline, plus many nephews, nieces, and her best friend of more than 30 years, Alice Oldham.

Mary was preceded in death by her husband, Thomas Franklin McCrary, who passed away on January 4, 1993.

The viewing will be held from 5 - 9 p.m on Friday, May 6, 2022, at Moore Funeral Home, located at 1219 N. Davis Dr., Arlington, TX. The Requiem Mass will be held at noon on Saturday, May 7, 2022, at St. Peter and St. Paul Anglican Church in Arlington, Texas, with a graveside burial and reception to follow.

While Mary loved flowers, she loved taking care of people more. So in lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation.