Mildred M. Powers

Mildred Metz "Chilli" Powers died in her sleep late Monday evening, June 28, 2015, at her Baytown home. Born November 8, 1920, in Westlake, near Lake Charles, Louisiana, she was the second child of Mr. & Mrs. L.H Metz. As an infant, she cried frequently during her first months. Upon hearing a 1920's flapper tune entitled Chilli Beanie, she would calm and listen attentively. The nickname "Chilli" stuck for the rest of her life. She spent most of her childhood in rural East Texas and urban Dallas where she attended Woodrow Wilson High School, graduating in 1938. Then she spent two years at Southern Methodist University in Dallas followed by nearly one year at the University of Texas in Austin. At both institutions, she was embraced by Kappa Alpha Theta sorority. Her classmates voted her a "school favorite" in both high school and college. By January 1942, Chilli was only a semester short of completing a degree in English and drama. That same month, however, she married J.M. "Jack" Powers of Houston, then a young chemical engineer at the Humble Oil refinery in nearby Baytown. Except for 1956-57 in Summit NJ, they and their three children pursued busy small-town life on the Texas Gulf Coast. They especially enjoyed travel, sailing, camping, hunting, and fishing. The family actively participated at the Houston Yacht Club and worshiped at St. Joseph's Catholic Church. For all those decades, she served generously as a member of two principle civic organizations--Baytown Service League and PEO. Late in life, Chilli considered writing and entitling her autobiography A Magical Life because she felt she was loved by so many people "for no good reason." She never wrote her life's story but entertained friends and family with dozens of well-told anecdotes for many years--the Great Depression, World War II, the post-war era, and on into the 21st century. Broad travel through the USA, Canada, Mexico, and Europe enriched her life and those tales. In Baytown, she also survived one housefire and several serious hurricanes. After Jack died in 1990, she remained in the Roseland Oaks family home until her death. Chilli is survived by her son Michael Powers of Austin and her daughter Sally Johnson of Galveston. In 1995, her middle child Pat died in San Francisco CA. Additionally, she is survived by one of daughter Sally's sons and his family: Matt Johnson, his wife Rachel, and daughters Emma and Nellie; elder son Ted Johnson passed away in 2013. His son Jacob resides in Los Angeles CA. She was also close to the children of her deceased sister Bonnie Kollenberg: nieces and nephews Clare Grubbs, Ann Neyland, Henry Kollenberg, and Debbie Walker, plus their children and grandchildren. Included as well are the children of her deceased younger brother, Louis Metz: Stephen, John, and Tandy Metz, plus their dear mother Jane Metz.