Mary Everett Clark Tyler

Mary Everett Clark Tyler passed away peacefully in the early hours of April 23, 2024, after a brief illness. Her husband A.C., daughter Margaret, and niece Katherine Todd were with her and sang her home to heaven the night of her passing.

Mary was born in Rochester, NY February 10, 1944, to Edwin Deforest Clark and Margaret Davis Clark. Mary was the youngest of four children, her siblings were Louise Sadler, Margaret Jones and Walter Clark. Mary’s father was an organist trained at Eastman and Union theological seminary and her mother was a singer and teacher who graduated from the College of Charleston. Music, singing, and playing instruments were always very important in the Clark household. Mary moved to Wilmington, NC around age 3 where her father was the organist at First Presbyterian. Around eighth grade, the family moved to Greenville, SC where her father served at First Presbyterian. Mary played the cello and attended Brevard music school in the summers. Mary graduated from Greenville high school in 1961 and attended Winthrop university, graduating in 1965 with a degree in music concentrating in voice. Mary moved to Atlanta and sang 5 years with the Robert Shaw Chorale and also with the Fletcher Wolfe opera company. An article in the Atlanta paper featured her performance as the Third Lady in Mozart’s The Magic Flute.

She met her husband, Arthur Clifford Tyler, in the choir at University Presbyterian Church, Houston and they married November 25, 1977. Their daughter Margaret Ellen Tyler was born February 8, 1980. Mary and her husband sang in church choir, The Montgomery County Choral Society, and The Wilmington Choral Society (founded by Mary’s father). Mary went back to school to study library science and graduated with her master’s from Sam Houston university in 1986. Mary taught elementary music and was a librarian at several elementary schools including: Crawford (Houston), Lamar (The Woodlands), and Wainwright (Houston).

Mary was very active in her churches including First Presbyterian Conroe, TX and St. Andrew’s Covenant in Wilmington, NC. She has served as a deacon, elder, led various committees, volunteered in the church library, volunteered in the church office and was always singing in the choir. She also led children’s music, bringing her guitar to each Sunday school classroom singing songs like Do Lord and This little light of Mine. Giving to others through Christian service & love was one of the defining aspects of Mary’s life.

Mary was passionate about singing with choral groups and as a soloist. O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion from Handel’s Messiah was one of her most often sung solos. Mary enjoyed reading historical fiction, her kitties Midnight and Flower, volunteering with IHN homeless ministry (running the ministry in Conroe with her husband), watching her news programs on tv, participating in her church circle bible study, coming to Charlotte to see her daughter’s Opera Carolina performances, children’s literacy volunteer, watching live performances, and birdwatching. Mary loved the pastel medium. She gifted many people calendars with her bird pastels. She illustrated a children’s book, Plucky, the lucky Pelican. She also created numerous portraits of children and pets for her friends and family. Mary led a full life until the end.

Her family, friends, and community were very important to her and so was her love for her Lord God who brought her into this world to be a blessing to it. He has taken her home and we will all see her again and rejoice in that day. 

“And when from death I’m free, I’ll sing on, 

And when from death I'm free... I'll sing His love for me

And through eternity I'll sing on, I'll sing on”

In lieu of flowers, the family is asking for donations to cover the cost of funeral expenses. Please visit her memorial site to post memories and pictures of her and if you feel led, to make a donation towards funeral expenses. 

https://everloved.com/life-of/mary-tyler/

The Memorial service will be held July 20th, 2024, at St. Andrew’s Covenant Presbyterian Church in Wilmington, NC in the afternoon. More details to be announced at a later date.

Mary is survived by her husband A.C. - Arthur Tyler of Wilmington NC, daughter Margaret Tyler (Steve Sebero) of Colorado Springs, CO, her sister Margaret Jones (Pete) of Raleigh, NC, nieces and nephews: Katherine Call, Michael Reville, Steve Reville, Beth Blackwelder, Nathan Sadler, Alison Jones, David Jones, Mark Jones, Chris Strausz-Clark, Karen Sporn, Caroline Robertson, Sarah Cockrell, Rebecca Ogden, Katherine Todd, Jonathan Todd, Miriam Mauritzen, Michael Bradshaw, Rob Bradshaw, Chris Bradshaw, and her husband’s brother Bill Tyler (Marvine). She is preceded in death by her brother Walter Clark and sister Louise Sadler.