Mary Jane Shipley

Mary Jane Guinn Shipley, age 96, of Wichita Falls, formerly of Waco, passed away Friday, August 28, 2020. In honor of her wishes, a private graveside service will be held at Waco Memorial Park in Waco, Texas. Arrangements are under the direction of Wilkirson-Hatch-Bailey Funeral Home. Mary Jane was adopted as an infant by the Robert Guinn family of Crockett, Texas, but in her teens, their death led to her being raised by her eldest sister, Mabel Goolsbee, and her husband, Pat. After completing high school in Crockett she moved to Waco to attend Baylor University. During that time she lived with her second oldest sister, Helen Klatt, and her husband, Wesley. She was particularly grateful for the generosity of the Klatt children, Jack and Bobbie, who selflessly shared their home with her. Shortly after graduation from Baylor with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1945 she met and married Walker Horton Shipley. The couple moved to Hamilton where he owned a hardware store and she began her teaching career. While in Hamilton the couple celebrated the birth of their son, Wesley, and their daughter, Suzanne. The family moved to Lubbock in 1954, where Horton served as the general manager of the CBS affiliate KDUB. Mary Jane continued her teaching career which included junior high and high school science and math and later university-level courses in math education. In 1961 she received a Master’s degree in Education from Texas Tech and enrolled in doctoral courses in education. Her studies were cut short by a move back to Waco. She returned to the high school classroom as a math teacher at Midway High School, retiring from teaching in 1986. Throughout their marriage, the couple were members of the Methodist Church, where they became active leading Bible studies and marriage enrichment classes. Mary Jane enjoyed an active life, playing tennis from her college years well into retirement. After her husband’s death in June of 2000 she continued to live independently in Waco. She cooked for Meals on Wheels, supported her local sewing circle, and enjoyed visits from her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. “Adopted” family members Barbara and Raghu Narayan, Yukie Ebara- Pfeuffer and Hans Joachim Kunz enriched her life with regular visits, calls, and letters. Mary Jane was fortunate to be blessed with close friends in Waco who made her later years very meaningful. In 2015 she moved to Wichita Falls where she attended First United Methodist Church. She is survived by her son, Wesley Shipley and his wife, Kathleen, of Beaumont; daughter, Suzanne Shipley and her husband, Randall Wadsworth, of Wichita Falls; granddaughter, Jennifer Trenbeath and her husband, John, and great grandsons, Damian and Mason Phelps, all of Beaumont; and granddaughter, Kimberly Moore and her husband, Chris, of Carrollton. For those desiring, memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Wichita Falls or to the scholarship fund at Rolling Meadows Retirement Complex, 3006 McNiel Avenue, Wichita Falls, Texas, where she comfortably spent the last years of her life. The family invites you to leave a message or memory on our “Tribute Wall” at www.WHBfamily.com