Mary Ann Marshall

Mary Ann (Mange) Marshall, long-time University Park resident, died in Dallas on March 6, 2017, after a long illness. Born in Little Rock on August 31, 1930, and raised in Malvern, Arkansas, Mary Ann used her Southern gumption throughout her life. She had an infectious laugh, loved parties and adored bacon before bacon became cool. She enjoyed good-natured competition and participated in several weekly Bridge groups for more than 40 years. Quick-witted with a passion for words, Mary Ann kept a favored 1957 thesaurus -- its spine heavily taped -- by her side as she attacked with enthusiasm daily crossword puzzles from the Dallas Morning News and The New York Times. She was a die-hard fan of the Mavericks and the Cowboys, and would watch games, from her bedside, with the television on mute, the radio announcers calling play-by-plays, while tackling the latest crossword. Mary Ann held a Bachelor's degree from the University fo Arkansas and a Master's degree from the University of Iowa -- both in home economics. She began her career as an assistant at Northaven Methodist Church in Dallas, working briefly for Rev. William Holmes, whose sermon about the assassination of JFK made national headlines. It was in 1966 that Mary Ann found her "home" at SMU's Perkins School of Theology. She worked at Perkins until 2014. Mary Ann was preceded in death by her son, Paul Marshall; her parents, Lloyd and Alberta Mange and a younger sister, Carol Mange. She leaves behind a daughter, Sara Marshall, of Jersey City, New Jersey, and a cousin, Sara Harrison of Little Rock. A Celebration of Life Services will be at Perkins Chapel at Southern Methodist University on April 4 at 1:00 pm with a reception to follow in the parlor at Kirby Hall.