Mary Kirkpatrick

Mary Campbell Yates Kirkpatrick, beloved and devoted daughter, mother, friend, and brilliant teacher passed away on Friday, December 6, 2024. Mary was born on May 29, 1951, to Mildred Campbell Yates and Reed Henry Yates in Beaumont, Texas. She attended local public schools and graduated from Forest Park High School. Mary earned her B.A. in English at Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, and a M. Ed.at Lamar University in Beaumont.

A lover of literature with a gift for teaching others, Mary taught high school English, initially at Monsignor Kelly Catholic High School and then Honors English at West Brook Senior High School in Beaumont. There she was also the faculty sponsor for numerous organizations, including the National Honor Society, the Debate Team, and the Mock Trial Team which advanced to the state level under her leadership on numerous occasions. Honoring Mary’s efforts while at West Brook in 2011, she was one of fifteen educators in the area who received the prestigious Wayne A. Reaud Excellence in Education Award awarded by the Beaumont Foundation. This award was created to celebrate and recognize superior contributions of teachers whose leadership and dedication inspire a spirit of learning in students of all backgrounds and abilities.

Mary’s love of literature and writing continued into her days after retirement from teaching. She used her skills as a copyeditor for a Catholic newsletter for some years. Her sense of humor and having fun was always at play evidenced by the two E-books she co-authored in 2015, Sherwood Bones and Vet Watson The Flop-Eared League, detective story parodies. Mary discussed movies and books with friends and family and convinced many to dive into certain tales where they might never have gone!

However, her greatest and most loved job was that of mother to her three children, Phillip, Bethany, and Charles. Up to her final days, she was always her kids’ biggest cheerleader. There is nothing she wouldn’t do for them, and she supported them unwaveringly in their pursuits and dreams. And as adults they felt blessed to be able to call her their friend. Equally so, Mary would often tell her friends and family how much she appreciated her children’s love and support during her long illness.

She is preceded in death by her parents Mildred and Reed Yates, and by her son Phillip Edward Kirkpatrick.

Mary is survived by her daughter Bethany Angela Kirkpatrick Roehm and husband John, her granddaughters Sophia and Jessica Roehm; son Charles Reed Kirkpatrick; brother Reed H. Yates III and his wife Linda; her niece Amanda Bradford and great niece Natalie Bradford and great nephew Connor Bradford. Mary will be missed by her loving cousins, colleagues, and friends.

Her funeral service will be Wednesday, December 11, 2024, at 3 p.m. at Weed Corley Fish Funeral Home on 5416 Parkcrest Drive, Austin, TX 78731. A gathering of her family and friends will be from 4-6 p.m. on Tuesday, December 10, 2024 also at Weed Corley Fish. Memorial contributions may be made to the Michael J. Fox Foundation (https://www.michaeljfox.org/) or the Parkinson’s Foundation (https://www.parkinson.org/).