Mary Vinson, a beloved Wife, Mother, and Grandmother passed away peacefully with her family by her side Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026, at the age of 73. Born Sept. 27, 1952, to John and Patricia Ward in Dallas, Mary spent her earthly formative years in Texas and Ohio. As a teen, she attended Carter High School in Dallas, graduating in 1970, and continued studies at Dallas Baptist College, earning a BA in theology in 1975. She thought she would marry a “preacher boy,” but that did not happen. She had a son, Pete, in 1976, and a daughter, Hope, in 1978. In 1982, she earned a second degree in nursing at the University of Texas at Arlington. Afterward, she spent her entire life working in nursing, spending most of those years at Texas Oncology as a clinical nurse and later as the nurse manager at the “mothership” clinic in Dallas. There, she pursued a third master’s degree in nursing. Professionally, she mentored, taught, and supported countless nurses, patients, and families until retiring in 2018 “before the job could kill her.” A profession, though, was only part of her earthly life. Mary dedicated time to her family, her faith, her church communities, and friends. She married a “non-preacher boy,” Paul, in 1989 and raised her children, spoiled their children, patronized artists at the Fort Worth Main Street Art Festival every spring, set off on epic road trips, walked the Camino de Santiago across Spain at age 63 (where, by the way, it is easy to lose toenails walking the undulating pilgrimage through Galicia), discovered silent retreats at Ruah House in Houston and the Christ in the Desert Monastary near Abique, New Mexico (at the end of a 13 mile dirt road paralleling the Chamas River where bear and big cats roam unhindered), contemplative prayer weekend retreats at the University of Dallas, and when not otherwise busy learned from YouTube how to comb sheep wool, spin it into yarn, knit it or weave it into cloth on looms. The intentional community of Homestead Heritage in Elm Mott became a retreat to which they traveled often over 30 years. Mary wanted to move to every place she ever visited on vacation. Nomadic by nature, but Texan by birth. She was known for making people burst out in laughter, saying something outrageous. When she laughed, it was so hard she would burst out crying. She never met a crossword puzzle she could not beat. Ever bright, curious, and tenacious about truth, she read vociferously and after converting to Catholicism (despite her husband saying he didn’t want to change denominations again!) and “re-marrying” her “non-preacher boy” in the Church, she came to love the works of Pope Benedict and Romano Guardini for their penetrating insights and eloquent expressions of the faith. She was just one of those people who loved really difficult religious texts. In the Church she gave her time altruistically, facilitating biblical studies, serving as a sacristan, even guiding preschool children in the early years of their faith in the Atrium of the Catechism of the Good Shepherd. Oh, that was her fourth “degree” as a catechist. It is a thousand and one small things that build up our earthly lives. It is a single huge thing that built up her spirit and soul: her faith in the Lord. Mary was preceded in death by her parents, John and Patricia. She is survived by her husband of 37 years, Paul Vinson of Fort Worth; her brother, John Ward, Jr. and his wife, Susan and son, Scott of Houston; her sister, Ellen Ward of San Diego; her son, Pete Sharum and his wife, Beth of Flower Mound; her daughter, Hope Volpe and husband, Chris of Fort Worth. Even while dancing on the other side of the Jordan, she will miss her grandchildren: Alex Volpe, CJ Volpe, Katy Volpe, and Zach Sharum. The Rosary Prayer Vigil will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026, at 6:00 p.m in the Independence Chapel at the Greenwood Funeral Home, 3210 White Settlement Road, Fort Worth. Visitation begins at 5:00 p.m. The following day, on Thursday, Sept. 17, the Funeral Mass will be conducted at St John Vianney Catholic Church, 200 S. Nolan River Road, Cleburne 76033 at 10:00 a.m. Her earthly remains will be cremated on Friday, Sept. 18, at Mount Olivet in Fort Worth. Her cremains with be inurned in a columbarium at St Mary the Virgin Catholic Church in Arlington. “Grant eternal rest to Mary, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon her. May the soul of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.” GREENWOOD FUNERAL HOME Greenwood Funeral Homes – Cremation 3344 White Settlement Road, Fort Worth 76107 817-336-0584

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