Mary Jane Willis Briscoe was born in Odessa, TX to John Jerome Willis Jr.
and Betty Jane Withington Willis. She attended school in Odessa where
she graduated from Odessa High School in 1971. She was an active
member of the band playing the bassoon and tenor saxophone during
marching season. After high school she attended Austin College in
Sherman, TX where she played in the Sherman symphony. In Sherman
she met the love of her life, Larry Joe Briscoe, and was married on
August 23, 1975. The couple remained in Sherman, TX until she
received her BA in psychology and sociology in 1974 and her masters
in education on February 1975. The couple found starter jobs in Austin
where Larry was a personal chef to a family and Mary Jane worked
for a halfway house for the criminal justice system with the goal of
getting the students back into high school before the next school year
started. In August she began working in adult patient education in the
Austin State Hospital and Larry started his career as a sous-chef in
Wimberley, TX where they later moved to. During these years were
the greatest events of their lives with the birth of their son,
Tucker Withington Briscoe, on 06-14-1981 and their daughter,
Katherine Adele Briscoe, on 03-04-1985. While the family was
living in Wimberley, Mary Jane continued her teaching degree
in special education in Seguin, TX. She had found her niche,
she truly loved children and being a part of special education.
There was so much that she learned from her students that she
passed on to others. The family of four moved to Odessa in 1987.
Mary Jane began teaching at Bowie Jr. High then Permian High School
and Odessa High School where she compiled a 34 year teaching career
before retiring. During that time she also taught night classes at
Aim and summer school. Mary Jane was big into giving back
to the community. She was a lifelong Girl Scout (troop leader and
Camp Mitre Peak counselor), an active member in the church
serving as a deacon, Sunday school teacher, vacation bible school,
and various mission trips. She took her certification classes to
volunteer for the Red Cross, she delivered Meals on Wheels
after retirement, volunteered at a Soup Kitchen, and served as
a board member for Catholic Charities just to name a few.
Mary Jane gave up many of these things to move in and be
the sole caregiver of her 87 year old mother when she fell
and broke her hip in 2014. This didn’t stop her from her
weekend annual teachers girls trips that she so dearly loved.
Mary Jane was preceded in death by her father, John Jerome Willis Jr.
and her husband, Larry Joe Briscoe. She is survived by her mother;
Jane Willis, son; Tucker Briscoe and wife Leann and their
children Alyssa and Jolee, daughter; Katie Briscoe and
partner Oscar Salazar, sister: Laura Myers and partner
Don Anderson, brother & sister in-law; John & Dolores Willis;
brother in-laws: Johnny Briscoe and wife Gina, Bodie Briscoe
and wife Pam, and Tommy Briscoe, nephews; Mark Barnett,
Josh Willis, Daylon Briscoe, Donovan Estrada, Nieces: Angela Wise,
Crescent Chaffin, Danika Estrada.
Services to be held at First Presbyterian Church
1401 N. Sam Houston Avenue, Odessa, TX 79761 on
Tuesday, October 8th, 2019 at 2:00 PM.
In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the
Willow Camp Mitre Peak Scholarship fund started in honor of
Mary Jane Briscoe to send a deserving Girl Scout to camp each Summer.
http://www.gsdsw.org/
Click Give then select send a girl to camp
Donors would then just put in memorium of
Form will have designated amount or other
Forms can be mailed in or to my email
[email protected]
5217 N Dixie Blvd
Odessa, TX. 79762
