Mary Love Bigony

She was born in Corsicana, Texas, to Olive Searcy Bigony and Ira Jack Bigony. She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 1973 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism.

As managing editor of Texas Parks and Wildlife magazine, Mary Love sharpened and smoothed articles with her precision and attention to detail. She wrote with vibrance and clarity about the wild animals of Texas, inviting readers to see the mountain lions and sea turtles with her curiosity and joy. Mary Love retired from the magazine in 2004 after 27 years of service and was immensely proud of her work. Mary Love returned to her alma mater to teach News Media Writing from 1999 - 2006, sharing her careful sense of craft with a generation of UT students.

Mary Love gathered friends wherever she went and was always up for happy hour or a road trip. She kept greeting cards from friends, and the flood of notes spanning decades reflect the joy and adventures she kindled and how deeply she treasured the people around her.

She and her best friend Claudia Binder met at Jester Center Residence Hall as freshmen at The University of Texas at Austin. During their over 50-year friendship, Mary Love and Claudia drove thousands of miles on road trips, drank countless margaritas, and filled their homes with their hours-long conversations. Mary Love was a cornerstone in the lives of her goddaughters Margaux and Paige Binder. She made cookies and her trademark scrambled eggs, dubbed “Mimi eggs” after the moniker her goddaughters gave her.

Editor, sister, and steadfast friend, Mary Love brought tremendous love to the world. Her friends, family, students, and her state of Texas are better for knowing her. Mimi, we love you and you are deeply missed.

Mary Love is preceded in death by her parents, Olive Searcy Bigony and Ira Jack Bigony of Corsicana, and her sister, Jo Ann McLeod, of Waco.

Mary Love is survived by her sister, Arlene Bigony Logan, and her nephew, Rick Ronnick, both of Bristol, Tennessee, Claudia Binder of Seattle, Margaux Binder of Brooklyn, Paige Binder of Seattle, Sue Bennett, Audrey Webb, and Susanne Harm of Austin, countless beloved friends, and her cherished cat Connie.

Donations in memory of Mary Love may be made to Thundering Paws, The Bluefield Project to Cure Frontotemporal Dementia, or your preferred progressive organization.