Mary Chambers Hull

March 1, 1945 - January 14, 2021

Mary Chambers Hull of Fort Collins, born March 1, 1945 passed away on Thursday, January 14, 2021. Mary grew up in Benton, Arkansas but spent much of her life in Texas, most recently in Plano and Arlington. Her husband John passed away in 2011. She is survived by her brother Tom Chamber and his family, her son Brian, her daughter-in-law Melina and their daughter Zora of Fort Collins. Mary studied at Baylor University and went on to teach home economics at the high school level. She was an active member of P.E.O., a philanthropic organization that supports women so that they are able to access higher education. Music was always an essential part of her life. Wherever she moved, whether Arlington, Texas, San Antonio, Louisville, Kentucky, Denver or Plano, Mary and John would become active in a local Baptist church. She loved to sing in church choirs, most recently, at Park Cities Baptist in Dallas. She was a pianist and wherever she lived her piano playing filled the house with melody and song. Mary was the consummate host. Guests loved coming over to her home because they knew they would be welcomed with warmth, kindness and hospitality. She made everyone feel at home including those who were new to this country. In Arlington, she was involved in a group called International Friends that her sister Sarah helped organize. The group made it their mission to make international women who had newly arrived in the U.S. feel welcome and help them become assimilated into life here. Undoubtedly, her own experience being a foreigner in Taiwan, helped her feel compassion for others who were facing the challenges of being far from home and far from their culture, families and friends. In 1988 Mary’s health declined rapidly. She had a life-saving surgery in which the mitral valve of her heart was replaced by a plastic valve. The innovative, for its time, surgery extended her life for 33 years. Her faith and her unshakeable love of life gave her the strength to recover and lead a normal life again. The infection she had suffered caused some brain damage. It was an uphill battle to recover but she was up to the challenge. This capacity for positivity and resilience is something that never wavered, even as she faced new and equally difficult challenges. She never bemoaned her circumstances but instead embraced the light of healing and impacted everyone that crossed paths with her for the better as a result. She will be deeply missed. In lieu of flowers, please give donations in Mary’s name to the Plano Chapter GU of P.E.O. (Susie Mayfield, 3804 Johnson St., Frisco, TX 75034) or to the Methodist Children’s Home in Waco, Texas https://www.mch.org/