Mary Clay Hernandez

She was born Sept. 18, 1935, in Fort Worth to Melvin Clayton Senter and Frances Myres. Always artistic and adventurous, Mary Clay wrote about her art and life (www.MaryClaysMexico.com): "The inspiration for my paintings comes from an adventure that led to many years of living in Guanajuato, a small town in central Mexico. While there I studied at the University of Guanajuato, married a Mexican law student [Francisco] and raised 6 children. Later I returned to Fort Worth to continue my studies at TCU, receiving my BFA in painting in 1985 [at the age of 50]. The Mexican landscape is the subject of many paintings and is my venue to comment on spiritual, cultural and emotional topics. The highway with its many crosses frequently suggests our sojourn through life and reminds me of our finite quality. They are my response to a half century of automobile trips to and from Guanajuato and Fort Worth." Mary was a TCU artistic fixture -- for 20 years she painted almost daily at TCU's Art Studio. Having studied at Daggett and Paschal, she remained very close to childhood friends. Always spiritual, her last words were to her Lord. "I am full of joy," she told us all.

Mary was preceded in death by her father; mother; and sister, Shirley.

Survivors: Husband, Francisco; children, Juan Hernandez and wife, Estela, Marjorie Barnes, Nina Osuna and husband, Edward, Francisco Hernandez Jr. and wife, KT, Daniel Hernandez and wife, Jennifer, and Mary Nyari and husband, Rudy; and 22 grandchildren and great-grandchildren.