Mrs. Sanford Webb Criner, née Mary Vivian McGill, died on Sunday, the 11th of September 2011. She was born on the 19th of August 1919 in Bell County, Central Texas, to Vivian Hallmark McGill and Willard Lafayette McGill.
The second youngest of five girls, she is survived by three of them, predeceased by their oldest sister, Doris McGill Wood, only a few years ago. Surviving sisters are Dot McGill (Mrs. JMB McGuffey), Bobbie (Mrs. James Swope) and Audrey (Mrs. Leslie Boelsche), who was the nearest in age to Mary. Therefore, they were self-proclaimed “best friends” and spoke with each other at least once a day for ninety-two years. There are many beloved surviving nieces and nephews, recently predeceased only by one, Donald Wood.
Mary was a very talented and lively pianist who entertained her family and friends enthusiastically as far back as anyone can recall. Her parents and older siblings claimed she taught herself to play when she was two years old. Interestingly, her mother often remarked she was the only one of the children who refused to study piano as it made her nervous. Therefore, she was never required to do so but was the one who always played for the rest of them and all their friends.
Mary was predeceased by her husband, Sandy, and is survived by two sons and a daughter and their families. Sanford Webb Criner, Jr. and his wife, Susan Lane Strong Criner, have two daughters, Ann Chapman Criner and Katherine Lane Farish Criner, whose husband is Andrey Della Croce Bellin. They have one son, Lorenzo Strong Spaulding Bellin.
The younger son, Christopher Hallmark Criner and his wife, Arlene Gibson Criner, have a daughter, Reah Lea, the wife of Walter Gregory Trest.
The daughter, Mary Criner Blake (Mrs. Thomas W. Blake) has one daughter, Mary McGill du Bose Adickes, married to Guy Fairfax Cary Van Pelt. Their two daughters are Cynthia Fairfax Cary Van Pelt and Mary Vivian McGill Van Pelt.
Mrs. Criner was also predeceased by her very beloved Andre Calvert Farish, whom she and her husband Sandy considered to be the same as their very own little brother. His children were their Godchildren, but were more like Grandchildren to them. The surviving ones are Melissa Farish Morrison and Andre Calvert Farish, Jr., who were predeceased by their brother, Jefferson Davis Farish II.
Mary Criner’ s passionate interest was Trinity Church Endowment, to which she was entirely devoted. Sitting for many years on the board of directors, she also had served as president and arranged many successful fund raising projects, resulting in the survival of magnificent old Trinity Church, during difficult economic times. It was designed by Ralph Adams Cram assisted by William Ward Watkin in 1919.
The memorial service is to be conducted at eleven o'clock in the morning on Saturday, the 17th of September, at Trinity Episcopal Church, 1015 Holman Street in Houston, where the Rev. Hannah E. Atkins, Rector, the Rev. Murray R. Powell, of St. Mark's Episcopal Church, and the Rev. Canon James M. L. Grace, of Christ Church Cathedral, are to officiate.
In lieu of customary remembrances, contributions in memory of Mrs. Mary Criner may be directed to the Trinity Church Endowment, 1015 Holman St., Houston, TX, 77004
SHARE OBITUARY
v.1.8.18