She attended The University of Texas at Austin where she met many lifelong friends through her sorority Zeta Tau Alpha. Also while at UT, she met her one true love, Rex Reitz in the parking lot at Dirty Martin’s. They married and had 4 children. She was a stay-at-home mother who loved gardening (an apt nickname was “the pansy lady”), throwing beautiful parties and playing tennis and Mah Jong at Westwood, which became her second home.
One of her keys to longevity was her love of exercise: playing tennis, swimming and working out well into her 80’s. To keep her mind sharp, she adopted a new passion for the stock market at 80 years old which she continued with fervor to the very end.
Mary Ann was stylish in her signature haircut, her wardrobe and her home. That continued on with elaborately decorated Halloween parties, and every holiday to follow. She loved bringing people together over delicious meals. The large round dinner table was alive and active, matching her laugh. True to her commitment to sharing good food, it wasn’t uncommon for her kids to transport a full ham to an out-of-town gathering with a promise to return carrying the precious wrapped up soup bone on the plane.
Mary Ann was known for her playful sense of humor and her generous, caring and creative nature. She was loved by so many and will be greatly missed. She is preceded in death by her parents, her two brothers, Walker and Freeman, her son Richard and her ex-husband Rex. She is survived by her daughter Julie Reitz, daughter Holly Gregor and her sons Riley and Rex and her daughter Barbara Briske and her sons Adam and Gavin.
Donations can be made to the charity of your choice.
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