Mary Waller Pinnell

Mary Waller Pinnell, age 81, of San Antonio died on Wednesday, September 19, 2007. Her life is particularly marked by conveyed inspiration, personal sacrifices and an adventurous spirit. For many years she underwent the trauma of macular degeneration and hip replacements. Subsequently, in the latter part of 2003 she was diagnosed to have Parkinson's disease. The gradual debilitating effects of these afflictions ultimately overcame her fighting spirit and courageous battling against these effects. Through it all she maintained a keen sense of humor without complaint. She was born in the small Texas town of Ben Franklin located near Paris, Texas on May 2, 1926. After graduation from Paris High School in 1943, she worked at Camp Maxey before being transferred to the finance department at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio. During that time in San Antonio she met her future husband, Ray, who had recently been discharged front the Navy. They were married on March 23, 1947 and have recently celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. Her persistent persuasion and encouragement would see her husband, son Gary and daughter, Angela through college and into active careers of engineer, attorney and dental hygienist respectively. Prior to the limitations imposed upon her by the severity of her afflictions she enjoyed an active lifestyle. She particularly enjoyed hunting and fishing with friends as well as memberships in the Alamo Heights Optimist Club and a dance club called the Baccanals. She was also a past president of the Bexar Chapter Texas Society of Professional Engineers Auxiliary. One of the happiest and most memorable experiences of her life came to her on a specially arranged trip to China in December of 1981. It was as an invited guest of the Chinese International Travel Service, a branch of the Chinese government and a joint-venture owner of the new Lido Hotel. As structural engineer of the project Ray had to be in Beijing for the start of construction and she was invited to accompany him. What made it especially unique was that it was very early in the normalization of relations process and there were few foreign visitors in their county at that time. While in Beijing she was furnished a Mercedes limousine along with a driver and an interpreter and told she could go anywhere she wanted. The interpreter was the son of the mayor of the province. When describing one of those day's activities she said, "Today we drove through the Temple of Heaven". When Ray said, 'You can't drive through the Temple of Heaven", she said, 'We did"! Even then her walking ability was becoming limited and they wanted her to see one of their national treasures. Subsequently, they spent a few days in Shanghai and in Guilin as a conducted tour group of two with a government furnished guide and interpreter in each location. They were a novelty wherever they went. She loved people and they loved her for her sincerity and humor that she could find in virtually every circumstance. More than any other event this characterized the beauty and joys of her life. She was preceded in death by her parents, Leonard and Pauline Waller of Ben Franklin, TX; her brother, Andrew Waller of Ben Franklin, TX; her sister, Helen Rue of Springfield, VA, and her son, Gary Pinnell of San Antonio, TX. Survivors: husband, Ray A. Pinnell, Jr; daughter, Marylyn Angela Crittenden, Pipe Creek, TX; sister-in-law, Sharon Bohan, Ocean Park, WA; brother-in-law, John W. Rue, Springfield, VA; nieces and nephews, Lynn and Maurice Tschirhart, Art and Martha Tabler, Matt Tabler, Connie and Paul Hartke, John Rue and Jerry and Michele Rue.