Mary Camille McCown

Mary Camille Edwards McCown, 84, passed into the presence of Jesus on Tuesday, January 15, 2019, after a brief illness. Mary was born in Fort Worth, Texas, on December 3, 1934, and is preceded in death by her husband of 49 years, Charles F. McCown. She is survived by her brother and sister-in-law, William and Melinda Edwards; her daughters and their husbands, Camille and Steven Pitts and Connie and Fred Bowers; her grandchildren, Brent and Cristianna Pitts, Becky Pitts and her fiancé Brendon Newman, Carter and Katelin Bowers, and Shelton Bowers; and her precious great-grandson, Charles Frederick Pitts, along with many cousins, nieces, nephews, and dear friends. Mary graduated from Lubbock High School in 1952 and received both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Texas Tech University. She taught mathematics at Monterey High School for more than 30 years and then took on the role of Secondary Math Coordinator for Lubbock Independent School District. After her retirement in 1990, she continued to tutor and mentor students at all levels because one of the passions of her life was teaching. Mary was a faithful member of First Baptist Church from 1992 and of Calvary Baptist Church for many years before that. In both churches, she, along with Charles, served in many capacities teaching and serving God. One of the joys of her life was the Cornerstone Sunday school class at First Baptist Church for which she was a charter member and faithful servant. Mary had an especially deep commitment to missions and shared the love of Jesus with people in Japan, Mexico, Peru, Colombia, Chile, and most recently Hungary (2017) in affiliation with International Commission. She truly has been a steadfast prayer warrior. Mary was a long-time member of the educators’ organization Delta Kappa Gamma and served in leadership roles at both the local and state levels. She also volunteered for more than 15 years with the Word of Hope Ministry, sharing the gospel with prison inmates through weekly correspondence lessons. Her sphere of influence through all of her teaching and service opportunities is enormous, and she is very deeply loved and will be missed by so many. To the many friends across the country who have demonstrated their love, respect, and concern for our sister, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother: we are deeply and eternally grateful for your prayers and support at this most difficult of times. We rejoice knowing that Mom/Marni is with her precious Lord – Revelation 21:4. A Celebration of Life service will be held in the sanctuary at First Baptist Church, 2201 Broadway Avenue, Lubbock, Texas, on Friday, January 18, 2019, at 2:00 pm. Visitation with the family will be Thursday, January 17, at Sanders Funeral Home, 1420 Main Street, Lubbock, from 5:00-7:00 pm. The family suggests any memorial gifts be given to the Word of Hope Ministry (PO Box 93490, Lubbock, TX 79493) or to International Commission (www.internationalcommission.org/gift).

Mary Camille McCown

December 3, 1934 - January 15, 2019