Mary Elizabeth Miller 1925 - 2018. Mary Elizabeth Miller Bartholow passed away on July 30th, 2018. She is survived by her three daughters (Emily Erin Gary of Dallas, Barbara Elizabeth Gary of Dallas, and Mary Maverick Gary of Ocala, FL), her two grandchildren (Elizabeth Maverick Gary of New York, NY, and Sarah Maverick Bell and her husband Chris Bell of St. Louis, MO), her two great-grandchildren and by many relatives including over 400 who attended the Maverick Family Reunion alongside her in June, 2018. Mary was born in Austin, Texas on January 11th, 1925 to Emily Maverick Miller and Edmund Thornton Miller. Her mother was one of the first women to graduate from the University of Texas at Austin, and a founding member of the Pi Beta Phi Sorority (which her daughter and granddaughter would later pledge). Mary's father Edmund was a Professor of Economics at the University, and she and her two siblings, Emily and Eddie, grew up immersed in academic life. When she was old enough to attend the University herself, she studied English literature and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1947. Mary met and married her first husband, Otis Bain Gary, at the University before moving to Highland Park in 1950. During this time they started a family, and she began her lifelong career as an avid participant in Community Organizations, many of which she remained actively involved in until her passing. They were married 25 years. Mary drew on her knowledge of the community and her passion for learning to attain her real estate license. She cultivated an understanding of business that complemented her love of the arts. In 1982, she was married to Jack Wharton Bartholow, and they were together for 24 years until his passing in 2006. Mary tirelessly dedicated herself to education and the arts. There was never a point in her life in which she was not learning. In recent years, she regularly attended the Dallas Symphony and Saturday broadcasts of the Metropolitan Opera, she played bridge with friends twice weekly, participated in the Shakespeare Club, was enrolled in two Bible study classes and two literature classes, and took private French classes. She was a member of the St. Michael and All Angels Church community, the Dallas Women's Club, the Dallas Garden Club, a lifetime Board member of the Visiting Nurses Association, and a Board member of the University of Texas Fine Arts Council. In her role on the Advisory Board of the Fine Arts Council, she endowed three scholarships for students of Fine Arts at UT Austin named for her mother, her sister, and herself. She was named the 2019 recipient of the College of Fine Arts' highest honor, the E. William Doty Award. She brimmed with new lessons and information to share, giving newspaper clippings to friends and loved ones. A quote she related to was " I make no distinction between work and play". Mary was also a well-known Meals on Wheels Ambassador, serving as the Volunteer Coordinator for St. Michael and All Angels Church and overseeing 180 volunteers at any given time. In 2017, the VNA created a volunteer appreciation award named after Mary for her extraordinary service (she was the first recipient). The week she entered the hospital, she was scheduled to personally drive 6 Meals on Wheels routes. The VNA said of Mary "She had a servants heart and an iron will." Mary was also honored for her service in 2017 at the Presbyterian Each Moment Matters Tribute Luncheon. She was the great-granddaughter of Samuel Augustus Maverick, who was one of the early settlers of Texas and survivor of the siege of the Alamo, going on to sign the Texas Declaration of Independence. His name is the source of the term "Maverick," which means "independent minded." Those who knew Mary describe her as having this same tenacity. When encouraged to reduce her commitments, she responded "I just want to make myself usefulI don't think I'm unusual in that way." Her daughters will carry on her spirit of service and volunteerism. Mary's last words to her daughters were "Carry on! You are Mavericks! I have had a great life! " In lieu of flowers, anyone wishing to honor Mary's life is asked to make a gift in Memory of Mary Bartholow to the Visiting Nurses Association of Texas/Meals on Wheels (1600 Viceroy Drive, STE 400, Dallas, Texas 75235) or to the Mary Bartholow Scholarship Fund (The University of Texas at Austin, College of Fine Arts, 2305 Trinity ST, D1400, Austin, TX 78712). A service to celebrate Mary's life will be held at St. Michael and All Angels Church on Thursday, August 23, at 4 p.m. with a reception to follow at the Church.