Mary TUTWEILER Gilpin
May 7, 1937 –
September 16, 2017
Mary Tutwiler Gilpin died on September 16, 2017 at age 80 due to pulmonary complications. A native Texan, she was born to John and Inez Tutwiler in Houston on May 7, 1937. She leaves three children, five grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren, four nieces and nephews, and numerous friends.
Her life was spent in three very different parts of the country, each strongly influencing her way of life. Her first 20 years were in Houston--covering the latter period of the Great Depression, World War II, and the launch of rock and roll; her next 20 in western North Carolina--where she raised her children and developed an abiding love for the Blue Ridge Mountains and college basketball. She returned to Houston for ten years--working in property management for Harold Farb and loving and agonizing over the Oilers. The remainder of her life was spent in the Austin area, where she shocked her Aggies-loving relatives by becoming an ardent UT sports enthusiast.
She was a dearly loved mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother as well as a treasured sister, aunt, and friend--was always available, gave good advice, offered droll observations of life, and had a wicked sense of humor. Like her two siblings, she was great fun and good company.
Her life was anchored by her deep faith and membership in the Episcopal Church. She was an avid sports fan (especially pro and college football and college basketball), an incessant reader (on her favorite T-shirt: "I cannot live without books"), and a life-long die-hard democrat. Her love of music ranged from Janis Joplin and Willie Nelson to Maroon 5, Bruno Mars, and Cold Play. She could not live without dogs. And, her favorite movie was The Jerk.
Preceding her in death were her parents; sister, Nancy Richards; brother, John Tutwiler, Jr.; aunt, Virginia Ezell; and nephew, Mark Richards.
She will be immeasurably missed by her children, Lisa Gilpin Tan and husband, Noel of Austin; Jeff Gilpin and wife Michiyo of Gainesville, VA; and Elaine Timbes of Austin; grandchildren, Rachel Tan of Waipahu, Hawaii; Sarah Tan of Austin; Frank Tan of Austin; Timothy Gilpin of Fort Leonard Wood, MO; and Aya Gilpin of Quincy, CA; and her beloved great-grandchildren, Teresa, Noel, Chase, Athena, Amara, Tim, Lyla, and Brodie.
The family is grateful to the doctors and staff of Mark Pirwitz, John Dallas, Flint Deshazo, Mauricio Sardan, and Quan Dang. Also, many thanks to the Seton Hospital respiratory staff and the 4th floor IMC nursing staff, including Joy, Lorena, Lisa, Deanna; and the Austin Hospice staff.
A very special and heartfelt thank you for their love, care, and support goes to Pat Rowan, Ellen Richards, Laurel Richards, Charles and Gail Dowis, Linda Watson, Lisa Webb, and Niki Flowers.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Austin Hospice, American Cancer Society, and the Austin SPCA.
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