Mary Lane Britain

Mary Lane Britain passed away peacefully surrounded by family at her home on August 8, 2024, at the age of 76. 

Mary was born in Amarillo, Texas, on December 6, 1947, to Albert and Betty Lane, and from the beginning had a soft spot for underdogs, animals and those in need of a second chance. She would be an outspoken advocate for all of these for the rest of her life. Mary’s life was a testament to boundless empathy, vibrant exploration, and an enduring commitment to making a positive difference in the lives of others. 

Her early years were marked by doing odd jobs at Lane's Ice Cream, a family ice cream business. While attending high school and college, Mary worked at Sakowitz. During a shift, her supervisor’s son came by while on leave from West Point and the rest was history. Mary and Bill’s four-year long-distance courtship was one of legend including her collecting bottles behind bars to pay the long-distance bill and more than one Western Union scramble to keep Bill out of trouble and in school. 

Mary graduated from West Texas State University in 1972 with a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology, a field she loved. She often said the only reason she graduated was her pending wedding to Bill on June 17, 1972. They started their marriage with a one-month cross country honeymoon that included camping, Bill doing some lumberjack work to keep gas in the tank and plenty of selfies (who knew!). Once they returned, they began their five-year Army commitment spending time across the US and in Germany where Mary put her sociology degree to work counseling soldiers on everything from broken hearts to a lack of budgeting acumen.

After the Army, Mary and Bill returned to Amarillo to start a family and soon welcomed son, Lane and daughter, Lulu into the world. Now a full-time mom, she was finally able to realize her dream of becoming a licensed private investigator. Mary would often bring her children along on stakeouts – no better cover than a young mother and her children in an Oldsmobile station wagon. 

As Lane and Lulu started school, Mary turned her focus to helping make St. Andrew’s Episcopal School the best it could be. When the school needed to expand beyond its original location in the St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church building, Mary was a driving force behind fundraising and further development of the school as an independent entity which has provided a nurturing environment for thousands of children in Amarillo. 

In addition to her PI and philanthropic efforts, Mary had a diverse range of interests. She was an avid gardener, revered baker (falling off her Christmas Roll list was devastating), a participant in the Citizens Police Academy and sat on a record number of Grand Juries. Her memberships in the FTC Birthday Club and the Greater Independent Municipal Patrol (G.I.M.P.), along with her treasured friendships with The Four Queens, were sources of great joy and camaraderie in her life. 

Mary's dedication to her family was unmatched. As the matriarch, she was fiercely protective and supportive of her family even when they did not deserve it. This loyalty and unwavering support extended to friends of all ages. She made sure her friends knew that she cared about them and was willing to go to the mat for them. For some of these people, she was the only person in their corner, but rarely did she ever realize the lasting impact her faith had on their lives. 

Mary had an extraordinary gift for connecting with people, making everyone feel valued and heard. She approached each interaction with genuine interest and compassion, often diving deep into people’s lives to understand their needs and offer support. Her home was a welcoming place where service providers and acquaintances quickly became like family.

After her children were grown, Mary dedicated herself to helping others in her unique way. Bill would often come home to find furniture, electronics, even cars had vanished. When asked, she would answer that someone needed it more and that was that. She also embraced her adventurous side, traveling the world with Bill and they were often joined by Dusty and Dana Sanderson, Sean Kelly, and Ignacio Navasques. Their journeys, stretching from the snottiest European hotels to the dingiest corners of Central Africa, created countless memorable moments. Even in her last days, she would want to relive Bill’s charmingly comical attempts to communicate across the world using broken English with a Scottish accent no matter the trip destination. 

Mary is survived by her son, Lane, and his wife Kate; her daughter, Lulu, and her husband John; and her cherished grandchildren, Hatch, Lillie, and Wallace Britain. In addition, Mary leaves behind best friends, Becky Johnson, Melody Alexander, Lynn Campbell, and Connie Wootton who were all there to help Mary at the end. Lane and Lulu extend their heartfelt gratitude to Joe Ed Coffman and Mike McEntyre for their lifelong dedication and service to Mary. We would also like to thank Dr. Christopher Gulley, Dr. Robert Gottlieb, Dr. Kyle Molen, Desiree Hamil, Quinton Mungia, Mathew Molina, Paula Hubert, Maggie Scales, Mike Hughes, and the teams at BSA Compassion Care, BSA Palliative Care, BSA Hospice of the Southwest, and Ruby Slippers, especially Carmen, Tori, Leah, Lindsey, Emma, Laci and Caroline, for their tireless effort, care and love for our mother over the past 18 months. 

A memorial and reception will be held at St. Andrew’s Episcopal School Gym, 1515 S. Georgia,  on September 21, 2024, at 2:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you do something nice for someone when they least expect it. If you are moved to give, Mary’s favorites were St. Andrew’s Episcopal School or to any organization supporting dogs.

Mary’s legacy of love, dedication, and service will be remembered and cherished by all who knew her.