Mary Sue Gill-Gaines

Mary Sue Gill Gaines died on Sunday, November 17, 2019, in San Angelo, Texas. She was born to J.E and Lucile Bohannon on August 24, 1931, in Brownwood. Think what history this woman saw: The Great Depression, WW II, The Korean Conflict, The Vietnam Conflict, the age of flight and problems in the middle east. Even as a small child she sang. She lived and was schooled all over Texas as her father was employed by Humble Oil Company. She graduated from Edison High School in San Antonio. She was awarded the Outstanding Student Award in Band and choir. Howard Payne College offered her a music scholarship. She rode a milk truck to school and was proud of it and met her future husband Howard Gill whom she married in 1949. He stayed in college, and they lived off of love, the GI bill, beans and cornbread. She did sing! Whether hanging clothes, washing dishes or rocking a baby, she did sing! She sang in First Christian Church Choir, Civic projects and solos. She was employed as the school secretary at Alta Loma School and later as an aide. When San Angelo Community College went to four years she went back to school full time to earn a teaching degree. At this time, she had a junior in high school and a junior in college. The college student avoided her classes. She was one of the "lil ole Grandmas" in tennis shoes sitting on the front rows in classes and spoiling the curve grading systems for everybody else. She did sing (and sit there) She taught 23 years in the sixth grade at Alta Loma Elementary School. She loved history and made it come alive for her students. After the children were off to college, she and Howard pursued a hobby of showing chihuahuas. They traveled all over the Southwest in their big motorhome. They finished thirty-five conformation AKC Champions, all but one home bred. And even three in AKC obedience trials, not easy with a Chihuahua! She Sang! Howard Gill died in 2002 from lung cancer, The singing stopped! At a hospice meeting in 2003 she met George Gaines who had also lost his spouse to lung cancer. They thought alike, realizing that life was short, they married. She sang again! Mary Sue Gaines was preceded in death by her parents and Howard Gill. She is survived by husband George; two children, Lucy Hill and husband Ken (in the process of moving to San Angelo) and Ernest Gill of Hamburg, Germany. George's family includes his mother, Mimi, Tish and Toby Taylor, Kayla and Danny Jones, Chad Parker and Mark Gaines. Great Grandchildren, Brendan and Cayden Jones and the Taylor bunch Paige, Cole, Brandt and Izzy. Viewing will be 10:00am to 8:00pm on Wednesday November 20, 2019 with the family be present from 5:00pm to 7:00pm to receive friends. Funeral services will be 1:00pm Thursday November 21, 2019 at Robert Massie Riverside Chapel with Bryan Elliott of Johnson Street Church of Christ, officiating. Burial will follow at Fairmount Cemetery. Arrangements are made by Robert Massie Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers it was Mary's wish that donations be made to local animal shelters and animal rescue centers. Online condolences may be left at www.robertmassie.com