Mary Winsett Schmidt – April 30, 2012


Mary Winsett Schmidt, 80 of Amarillo died on Monday, April 30, 2012.
Memorial services will be at 1:30 PM on Thursday, May 3rd in St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church with the Rev. Jo Roberts Mann officiating. Private burial will be at Llano Cemetery by Boxwell Brothers Funeral Directors.
Mary Schmidt went to be with her Savior on April 30, 2012. She was born April 9, 1932, in Amarillo, Texas to Ewing and Mary Winsett and graduated from Amarillo High School in 1950. Mary attended Sweet Briar College and the University of Texas, where she met Charles Schmidt, her husband of 57 years. They married August 2, 1952 and soon moved to Germany where Charles served in the US Army of Occupation. In 1955, they returned to Amarillo where Charles began a career in the road construction business and she her career as mother, homemaker and community volunteer.
A loving wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother and friend, Mary never met a stranger. From childhood, she treasured her beloved St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, faithfully offering her time and talents to God through the altar guild and vestry, through Bible teaching and as a member of the Daughters of the King. Mary served on the Amarillo School Board from 1974-80 and as its President 1976-77. She spent many years as an active member of the Junior League, serving as its President in 1964-1965. Recognized as a 50 year member of Kappa Alpha Theta, as well as a member of the Woman’s Club, Garden Club and Town Club. Mary supported the arts and culture as an avid patron and board member of Harrington House, Amarillo Opera, Amarillo Symphony and the Discovery Center; however, some of her greatest lifetime contributions to her world remain simply the handmade gifts and the treasured books she loved to give to family and friends. She sang; she read; she laughed; she continued her education at Amarillo College and volunteered with the AISD HOSTS program. Mary lived her life enthusiastically and with great generosity.
Mary was preceded in death by her husband, Charles, her parents, and brother, Merrill Winsett. Survivors include two children, daughter Ewing McCulloch and husband Mark of Amarillo, and their children Andrew McCulloch, Ben McCulloch and his daughter Riley, Mary Catherine Saylor and husband Nathan, and their daughters Kendall and Addison; and son Robert Schmidt and wife Jenni of San Antonio, and their children Hanna, Sarah, Emma, Caleb, Abigail and Nellie; a sister-in-law Catherine Winsett; brother-in-law Rufus Schmidt and his wife Kay, sister-in-law Suzanne Braden; a niece and four nephews.
The family is deeply grateful to Mary’s exceptional caregivers, especially Sally Pumphrey Tyler and the loving staff at Childers Place.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials be to St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, the Amarillo Opera or the Kwahadi Indian Museum.
The family will be receiving friends at Mary’s house, 2810 Crockett St. on Wednesday evening from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

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