Mary Lorene Winter Douglas

In 1944, Mary entered Manhattan High School which her three brothers also attended. Among extra-curricular activities were the Choir and the M-Club. She graduated in June 1948, and entered Kansas State College to major in English and Broadcast Journalism

Her marriage into the military community took her to Frankfurt and other cities in West Germany; to Greece and Crete; to Hawaii; and to several bases in the US, including three tours in San Antonio. Both her children, Sandra and David, were born overseas.

Along the way, she advanced her education at community colleges while holding full-time jobs. She tutored in English at several of their assignments, and taught professional cake-decorating.

In 1975, Mary joined the USAA Travel Agency as an agent, and remained in the travel industry for 20 years. She successfully completed the 3-year course to become a Certified Travel Consultant one of only some 11, 000 CTC's worldwide. It's worth noting that Mary's final paper for CTC was incorporated into the next revision of the textbook as required study by later candidates for certification.

In 1987 she, with her husband, opened and operated a travel agency. It was sold in 1991. In 1979, she met and married, James S. Douglas, a retired Army Colonel and executive at USAA. The family suddenly expanded to six children, nine grandchildren and later two great-grandchildren. They all live in various parts of the country.

In 1981, she passed the Texas State examination to become licensed as an auctioneer. There were fewer than 10 lady auctioneers in all of Texas. For a time, she conducted her own antiques auctions, and found time to auction for charities and other organizations.

She belonged to, and was President of, the San Antonio Women in Travel. She also was Chairman for several years of the Alamo Forum of the Institute of Certified Travel Agents ICTA.

In 1990, she joined a committee to establish and to sustain a scholarship at the College of The Incarnate Word in memory of a very well-known travel agent in San Antonio.

Ever since, she has chaired the fund-raising aspects and helped produce thousands of dollars for IWC to award to selected students majoring in a travel-related field of study. Each year she participated in the award ceremony at the College in order to meet and encourage the students who won.

She is preceded in death by her brothers: Ronald W. Winter and William P. Winter.

Survivors include her husband, Col. James S. Douglas; children: Sandra R. Yarbrough, Spring Branch, TX; David W. McClain, III, Alameda, CA; James S. Douglas, Jr., Grafton, WI; Darcy Douglas, Atlanta, GA; William A. Douglas, Lakewood, CO; and Patricia Douglas, San Antonio, TX; nine grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and brother, R. Dean Winter.

Interment will be at a later date at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery.