Mary C Nelson

We are sad to announce the passing of a beloved wife and mother, loving daughter, and the best big sister anyone could have, Mary Nelson. Mary was born in Houston, Texas to Jim and Catherine Nelson. As the daughter of an Air Force officer, Mary moved a lot while growing up, from Texas, Kansas, California to Florida, Georgia, and England. She graduated from high school at Mount de Sales Academy in Macon, Georgia before the family moved to Austin, TX in 1970. As the oldest of seven children, Mary was very protective of her younger siblings, and that protective nature extended to everyone she considered family.

While attending the University of Texas, she began working as a projectionist for cinema, and throughout the 1970s she worked at most of the movie theaters in Austin, including as head projectionist for a national chain’s Austin branch, and became the first female union master projectionist in the United States.

Mary then became involved in the actual making of movies as a key grip. She worked on hundreds of movies and commercials over her lifetime as an electrician, a key grip, key rigging grip, best boy as well as numerous other crafts within the industry. She worked on many of Willie Nelson’s movies, as well as almost any movie made throughout Texas from the late 1970s to the 1990s. She also was a stagehand for concerts held in Austin during this same time period. Working in a male-dominated industry posed many challenges, but Mary’s work ethic, her attention to detail, and her strength removed any doubts that she belonged there. People on the crew knew when “Nelson was on set”.

A strong advocate of unions, Mary dedicated her life to the rights of labor, particularly in the entertainment industry. She was a longtime member of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts and was the elected Business Agent of IATSE Local 205 for seven years. For a period of that time she also served as the Business Agent for the Film and Movie Mechanics Local 484 simultaneously at request of her brother and sister members.

During the 1970s, Mary became involved in Powerlifting. She was one of the few female powerlifters at the time, and frequently had to compete against men because many powerlifting meets lacked categories for women. Many times she competed in these meets in her weight class and beat the men.

Mary was proudest of her daughter, Dr. Katie Ford, and of her accomplishments and achievements in her academic and professional pursuits, as a Doctor of Chiropractic Medicine and a Nurse Practitioner.

In 2000, Mary worked as the first female Director of Production at the Paramount and Stateside Theaters in Austin. She added in duties as Technical Director and Production Manager during her 14 years with the two theaters. She also was the Director of Production for the Moontower Comedy Festival from 2012-2014. She loved her staff from the Paramount, and routinely spoke fondly of her time there.

In 2012, she and her husband Sandy started Shur-Rig LLC. They provide rigging for art and entertainment installations throughout the state of Texas as well as consulting nationally on projects. You can find the results of their work in many universities, state facilities, performing arts centers, and dozens of small theaters and school theaters across the state. Mary had a particular passion for trying to help low income and community theatre bring off productions.

Mary was preceded in death by her father Jim and her younger brother Richard. She is survived by her husband Sandy Gilzow, her mother Catherine Nelson, her daughter Dr. Katie Ford (Charles), step-son Cody, her sister Pat Segura, her brothers Michael Nelson (Liz), James Nelson (Cathy), Matt Nelson (Louise), and Tom Nelson (Whitney), and numerous nieces, nephews, grand-nieces, and grand-nephews. Many others in her life also loved Mary like a mother.

A memorial service will be held at Weed-Corley-Fish Funeral Home (2620 South Congress Avenue, Austin 78704) on Tuesday, January 17 starting at 6:30pm. In lieu of flowers, Mary and her family request that you make a donation to the Central Texas Food Bank in her name.