Mary Blackwell Allaway

Mary Maurine Blackwell Allaway’s huge heart carried so many people for so many years and on March 2, 2026, it finally grew tired. She passed peacefully, surrounded by family and friends, held by the deep love of the Lord she so faithfully served.

Mary was born in Yoakum, Texas, the eldest daughter of Finley and Courine Blackwell, and the oldest of three sisters. She loved her sisters, Jan and Sally, fiercely and after their deaths, Mary made sure that love didn’t end—she poured it into their daughters (Holly and Amanda), who became her “surrogate daughters” in the truest sense of the word.

Mary is survived by her husband of 41 years, William “Bill” Allaway—partner in every season. Mary and Bill encouraged one another in their walk with Christ, choosing the daily, faithful kind of love that grows deeper with time. Their marriage was full of the kind of teamwork that becomes its own language. Anyone who knew them knew Mary always had a few projects going. Bill met them with a grin and a steady hand, taking on whatever Mary dreamed up next. It was one of the small, ordinary ways their love showed itself, both of them finding joy in building a life together.

Mary was also “GranMary” to five beloved grandsons: Holly’s sons Eli and Owen, and Amanda’s sons Finley, Sam, and Harris—boys who knew her as a steady presence who showed up for them. Mary called it “the family that God made.” She took that same GranMary energy and invested in the lives of children in Austin: reading with first and second graders at Sanchez and Zavala Elementary schools, helping organize and lead Vacation Bible School at Manos de Cristo, teaching basic computer skills there, and serving—then chairing—the Manos Board of Directors.

Mary was brilliant and curious, with a mind that loved learning. After graduating from Cuero High School in 1966, she attended the University of Texas at Austin, where she was a cheerleader and a member of Zeta Tau Alpha. Though UT didn’t yet have a computer science department, Mary found her way into the world of computers through mathematics, earning her degree in 1970. Her faith and her calling continued to grow throughout her life; she studied at Austin Presbyterian Seminary and later earned a Master’s in Pastoral Ministry from the Episcopal Seminary of the Southwest in 2000.

She also created beauty everywhere she went. As a Master Gardener for more than 15 years, her garden reflected her: thoughtful, welcoming, alive. And you can bet that Mary always had a long list of things for Bill to do in the garden, as she created a place that felt like peace made visible.

Mary had a rare gift for friendship: she was the kind of person who didn’t just make friends—she kept them. She maintained friendships that stretched all the way back to high school, and she continued to “collect” lifelong friends through every chapter of her life. Her people knew they mattered to her. She remembered. She followed up. She showed up. Her friendships were not casual; they were tended, like her garden, with care and constancy.

Mary was a devoted member of Westlake Hills Presbyterian Church beginning in 1986. She was ordained as a deacon, helped create the church’s Prayer Ministry, and participated in an active Life Group and the Westlake Women’s Bible Study for many years. During the pandemic, she helped keep the WWBS connected through Zoom, and she continued to serve on the leadership team—showing, as always, that community is something you nurture.

And at home, Mary’s heart had four-legged companions, too. She adored her rescue dogs—faithful little shadows who brought her daily comfort, laughter, and company. Caring for them was one more way she expressed love: steady, attentive, and full of tenderness.

Mary will be remembered for her unwavering faith, her intelligence, her compassion, and the way she made the people around her feel seen. She loved deeply, served quietly, and left the world more beautiful than she found it.

A memorial service will be held in her honor, 2:00 pm, Tuesday, March 10, 2026 at Westlake Hills Presbyterian Church, 7127 Bee Caves Road, Austin, Texas 78746.

Memorial gifts may be directed to Manos de Cristo, the Equal Justice Institute, or any “No Kill” animal shelter of your choosing.