Mary Ann (Boese) Erskine passed away peacefully surrounded by her family at her home in Santa Barbara, California, on Saturday August 31st. She was 98.
Mary was an enthusiastic resident of Tulsa for over 50 years, arriving in 1960 with her late husband H.S. "Tex" Erskine, an executive at Kewanee Oil Company. Mary and Tex met on a blind date when he was a pilot stationed at a base near her hometown of Coffeyville, Kansas, where she lived with her parents Frances and Dr. A. Boese, and her two younger siblings, Bob and Helena. The town had a program to bring young servicemen home for dinner and Tex recalled she would pick him up with a buddy at the base and race them across the country roads to her home. They wrote to each other through the war years as Tex piloted his P-38 with "Mary Ann" painted across the front. Mary attended Stevens College in Missouri for 2 years, then the University of Colorado at Boulder where she joined the Tri-Delta Sorority. After getting married in 1947, Mary moved with her husband to Texas Tech University where they lived in veterans' housing with their little daughter Cathy, graduating together in 1950.
Mary was delighted when she and her family settled in Tulsa, a popular day trip from Coffeyville when she was growing up. Mary threw herself into organizations supporting the city and an active social life anchored by the popular "Bid and Double Club" that gathered monthly to play bridge. Her favorite organizations included the Tulsa Opera Guild where she served a year as president, the Tulsa Ballet, the Tulsa Philharmonic, the Assistance League of Tulsa, and the Tuesday Book Club, among many others. Later in life, Mary spent time in Houston, Dallas, San Carlos California, and Carmel California. At the end of her life Mary moved to Santa Barbara, California, to be near her two daughters and grandchildren. There she enjoyed the lovely weather, a year-long garden, and the constant companionship of her little dogs Lillybelle and Sunny. She spent hours listening to her favorite musical programs, reading, and ever the hostess, enjoying parties with her family on the patio.
Mary will be remembered by her family and friends as bright, curious, an avid reader, writer, and painter, a keen follower of current events, and a person of remarkable energy and zest for life. Mary is survived by her daughter Catherine Hale and her husband Bruce, her daughter Sherry Erskine, and her son John and his wife Shoneen, all of California. Also Mary's 4 dear grandchildren Ross, Elyse, Adam, and Julia, 5 great-grandchildren, Alex, Andrew, Charlotte, Jack, and Olivia, and nieces and nephews in Texas and Kansas.
A Graveside Service will be held at 3:00 P.M., September 18, 2024 at Memorial Park Cemetery, followed by a reception. A Celebration of Life will be held later in California. Memories can be shared at www.moorefuneral.com