Mary Louise Spillman

Died on July 29, 2023. Mary Louise Smith was born in Dallas on October 24, 1926, the daughter of Margaret Coke Howard and John Allen Higgins Smith. She grew up in Lancaster, Texas, and graduated from Lancaster High School. Mary was a 1948 graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, where she was a member of Alpha Chi Omega sorority. She married Pat Yates Spillman on August 27, 1948.

She is survived by daughter Ann Spillman and her husband, Jeff Margolies; daughter Jane Spillman Wansley and her husband Joel Weinthal; son Pat Spillman Jr and his wife Toni Hennike; and granddaughters Caroline Margolies and Hannaka Spillman. She is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews.

Mary is predeceased by her husband; son-in-law Terry Wansley; her parents; brothers Joel Howard Smith and J Allen Smith Jr; and sisters Kathryn McMillen and Margaret Killingsworth.

Her early nomadic married years had her living in College Station; Dallas; Cambridge, MA; New Haven, CT; and Rome, followed by five years in Chicago before returning to Dallas – and home!

Mary was a member of Highland Park United Methodist Church, The Dallas Woman’s Club, The Marianne Scruggs Garden Club, The Standard Club, and the Dallas Country Club. She was an original member of The Fan Club. She and her husband were long-time supporters of the Dallas Arboretum, the Dallas Symphony, Dallas Heritage Village, and the Dallas Museum of Art, where she was a docent for over 20 years. Mary was the granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. Joel T Howard, who in 1951 gave the museum the JT Howard Bequest of American Paintings.

The family is grateful for the care Mary received from Locksannah Hinga and the staff of the Edgemere and the Plaza.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Dallas Heritage Village, the Dallas Museum of Art, or the charity of your choice. A memorial service will be held on Friday, August 18, at 10:00 am in Cox Chapel of Highland Park United Methodist Church.