Mary Alice Jelinek

Mary Alice Jelinek, 80, of Austin, Texas, was called to Heaven, Monday, February 20, 2023, at home surrounded by her family after a short battle with cancer. She was born to Stephen and Naoma Livingston in San Antonio, Texas on August 20, 1942.

She was married to the love of her life, Kenneth Lee Jelinek on September 13, 1958. They shared their life together for 56 years. She was a cafeteria manager for 30 years with Austin Independent School District until she retired in 2014. Her greatest joy was being with her girls and their families: Laurie (Dee Dee) Eaves, Kaitlyn Eaves, Linda and Geoff Allen, Kristin, Kyle, and Brooks Davis.

Mary was the eternal optimist with an amazing zest for life. She was also an avid gardener who loved her little Garden of Eden she created with her husband Kenneth and daughter Dee Dee over the years. The highlight of her day was coffee and music on the patio whether at home in her own beautiful garden or at Linda and Geoff’s home in Virginia. Mary looked forward to visiting Linda and her family and/or sailing away on a new adventure with family and friends. She was the life of the party, loved to dance, and was ready to bust a move at any given moment. She was the diva on the dance floor and most recently crowned Queen Mary while on the Carnival Cruise Ship Breeze.

She was preceded in death by her loving husband, Kenneth, her parents, and her sisters, Judy Livingston Clary, Betty Skeans Cramer, and Hazel Skeans Flannery.

She will be greatly missed by Dee Dee, Linda, and Geoff, her grandchildren, Kristin, Kaitlyn, and Brooks, sister and brother-in-law, Bobbie and Bill Thompson, nieces, Cindy Harrington, Bonnie Staples, Carol Rawson, Connie Lewis, Janice Albers, her nephews Jerry Wall and Earnest Weatherford, best friends, Carolyn Buckland, Dolores Hoeber, Vanessa Sander Gustafson, and Becki Womack, as well as numerous beloved nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.

Mary was deeply touched and eternally grateful for everyone’s love, thoughts, personal visits, phone calls, text messages, flowers, and cards. She was overwhelmed by the love showered upon her. Unfortunately, due to her illness, responding to everyone was difficult.

The family would like to thank the medical staff of St. David’s South Austin Hospital and St. David’s Rehabilitation Hospital, her beloved physician Dr. Matthew Brimberry and RN Case Manager Kelli Kiessling, home health nurse Jennifer Rodriguez and physical therapist Joy Furman of Capitol Home Health, Mary Mann and JoAnna Brand of Austin Geriatric Specialists and hospice nurse Courtney McCoy, hospice nursing aide Jannett Martinez, Mireille Baril, hospice chaplain and Neely Taylor, hospice social worker. Mary was very fond of each of these very special people who provided wonderful and compassionate care throughout her illness.

Pastor Kevin Schouweiler of Beacon Ridge Baptist Church will officiate the Celebration of Life to be held Saturday, March 4, 2023, at 1 PM in the chapel of Cook-Walden/Forest Oaks Funeral Home, 6300 West William Cannon Drive, Austin, TX 78749. Interment to follow.