Mary Roth Solis

Mary (Roth) Solis passed into eternity on July 9, 2022, in Houston, TX, at the age of 70, surrounded by her beloved family. She fought valiantly and tirelessly against chronic myeloid leukemia, offering her suffering to save souls.

Mary was born in Houston, TX, on October 17, 1951, to Kenneth and Doris Roth. She had a strong faith instilled at home and fostered by the nuns of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio, where she attended Catholic grade school and was known then and always as a very talented social butterfly. She loved spending time with her grandparents and aunts and uncles in New Orleans, where she attended the University of New Orleans, became a dental hygienist, and worked in the VA hospital. In New Orleans, she began her long lifetime of active ministry work as she participated in the Charismatic Renewal and the prayer poor ministries.

Mary met Vance Solis after praying a novena to Padre Pio, and they were married a few months later on her birthday, October 17, 1980. They lived on a house at the racetrack of Louisiana Downs where their first daughter, Ann Marie, and son, Walker, were born. They lived a short time in Slidell, LA, where their second daughter, Angele was born, and then moved to Colleyville, TX, where they remained for the next 38 years. Daughter Holly and son Timothy Paul (miscarried) were born in TX.

Mary homeschooled all of her children, wanting them not to be “good,” but rather, “holy.” She was passionately pro-life and volunteered for years at crisis pregnancy centers, praying at abortion clinics, doing sidewalk counselling and sponsoring Rachel’s Vineyard, building a large ecumenical chapter of the Life Chain, and lobbying at the capitol; she was overjoyed to live to see the overturning of Roe V. Wade. Mary was a pillar of her parish, St. Francis of Assisi in Grapevine, TX, where she founded the Padre Pio prayer group, introduced the Schoenstatt movement, was a Eucharistic minister, member of the hospitality ministry, introduced and coordinated Eucharistic Adoration, began and coordinated the Rosary on Sundays, created a St. Joseph altar, babysat for young mother prayer groups, did ministry in nursing homes, fundraised for new statues for the church, brought Communion to the sick and homebound, became a Benedictine of the Divine Will, and was a faithful friend to any and all. Her volunteering extended into the wider community as she organized neighbourhood picnics, co-founded the children’s organization Friends in Deed, delivered Meals on Wheels, and could always be relied upon to do a favor for anyone who asked. She loved going out to breakfast with all of her many friends.

After her children graduated, she worked as a crossing guard; she loved the children and got as many gifts at Christmastime as a teacher! She worked briefly for the Department of Immigration, processing paperwork part-time as a “little job” but left when they loved her so much they wanted her full time. She loved to travel and was so pleased to visit her adult children around the country, to go on a European pilgrimage, and again later to visit her daughter Sr. Anna Christi (Ann Marie) in Scotland. Beautiful herself, she cultivated beauty in her manners and in the peace and hospitality of her home. She was a generous gift-giver and remembered every little holiday with care packages, cards, and prayers to her children and many godchildren. Mary never met a stranger; she would make conversation and become friends with people in the line at the grocery, with her adult children’s neighbours, and with anyone she ever came in contact with. Above all, she was a consummate storyteller! She could weave any little anecdote into a full-blown story that would captivate an entire room and leave them rolling in stitches. When some details seemed a little far-fetched, she’d wryly quip, “Why ruin a good story with the truth?”

After her diagnosis of leukemia at the start of the pandemic in March of 2020, Mary was determined to beat it to go visit the joys of her life – her three grandchildren in VA. As each new setback came, she faced it without complaint, resolute to do her absolute best and submit everything to the Divine Will of God. In March of 2022, she and Vance moved to Houston to be close to MD Anderson, which offered her best hope of recovery. He was her constant companion, caretaker, and champion throughout her battle. Some of her great joys in life were: her husband, children and grandchildren, being a native Texan (especially the bluebonnets, blue birds, and figs), performing gracious southern hospitality, her time in New Orleans, and most especially her very deep faith.

Mary is survived by her husband Vance, children Sr. Anna Christi, Walker, Angele (Ben St. Hilaire), Holly (Cyril Handal); grandchildren Kayla Rose, Justin Micah, and Naomi Clare Handal; sister Kendra Sheldon (Mike); brother Kenneth Roth (Michelle); brother James Roth (Cathy); many nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her parents, Kenneth and Doris Roth and sister Janice (& Paul) Ligon.

The Visitation will be held Wednesday, July 13, 2022 at 4:00 PM at J.E. Foust & Son Funeral Directors, 523 S MAIN ST, GRAPEVINE, TX 76051. Rosary at 5:00 PM. The funeral Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Thursday, July 14th at 10:00 AM at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, 861 WILDWOOD LANE, GRAPEVINE, TX 76051. Burial to follow at Grapevine Cemetery, 908 SPRING CREEK DR, GRAPEVINE, TX 76051.