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Mary Chadwick Cone Williams
Mary Chadwick Cone Williams passed away September 27, 1998, at home in Point Venture near Austin. She was born November 18, 1927, in Galveston.
She grew up in Galveston and lived in Dallas in the early 1950's. From 1955 until 1990, she lived in Houston, and thereafter at Lake Travis near Austin.
She was preceded in death by her family in Galveston: son, Michael N. Philley, in 1954; father, Dr. Robert Earl Cone, in 1955; brother, Dr. Robert Earl Cone, Jr., in 1955; and mother, Malcolm Amanda Parten Cone, in 1969. |
Mary Williams, Mary Jane O'Rock,
Diane Olsen, Evelyn Hopson |
Her efforts were recognized when in 1991, she was awarded the Oswald and James Jacoby Service Award, the highest honor in the District. She returned to the practice of law in 1970, when she joined the firm of Baker & Botts in Houston. She was a Board Certified Attorney in Estate Planning. After retiring from Baker & Botts in 1990, she was in the private practice of law. She was a member emeritus of the Houston Bar Association, a member of The Texas Bar Association, the Texas Academy of Probate & Trust Lawyers, The Chancellor's Council of the University of Texas, the Development Board of the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, the Board of Directors of the Venture Yacht and Country Club, chair of the Point Venture Architectural Control Committee, and a trustee of the Maurin Foundation. |
She dearly loved her family, people, the outdoors, her gardens and flowers, and puppy dogs (and playing bridge).
She is survived by her four sons, E. David Philley Jr., of Austin, Robert C. Philley and wife, Sarah J. Philley, of Houston, Jeffrey R. Philley, of Houston, and Steven M. Philley and wife, Cathryn K. Philley, of Dallas. Other survivors are niece, Amanda Lee Cone Crowley Rohmiller, of Granbury; seven grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.
A memorial service was held at 1:00 p.m. on Friday, October 2, 1998, in Houston at The Church of St. John the Divine, 2450 River Oaks Blvd. The family received friends at the church after the service.
Memorial contributions may be made to the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) for the Robert Earl Cone Professorship in Urology, c/o Office of University Advancement, 301 University Blvd., Galveston, Texas, 77555-0842.
Additional Comments
- Jack Lacy, Round Rock
- When I think of Mary, I think of elegance, competitiveness, and kindness. She was a terrific competitor and a wonderful friend but most of all she was kind to everyone. I remember many bridge games both as partner and as opponent but I also remember many non-bridge occasions with equal fondness. She enjoyed all sorts of games and was a fierce crossword puzzler. Many a time between sessions we would participate together in doing the New York Times magazine puzzle where I can remember being very lost but with a little prodding and thought from Mary pretty soon the puzzle was complete. She particularly liked working on a crossword puzzle in a group.
Yes, Mary liked games. But more important, Mary liked people and showed it in all her dealings.
Mary, we will miss you. Hopefully, you can keep the game going until we join you.
- Jerry Bigler, Austin
- Mary has been a special friend to me as we played bridge and traveled to tournaments together over the past eight years. We have enjoyed many meals together as well as many sessions of bridge. She never lost her temper at the table and was always considerate of the opponents as well as her partners.
She invited many of the Austin bridge players to her home on occasion, as well as attended annual Super bowl parties at my house and those of other close friends. These were very special social events for us because of Mary's presence. She was a fierce competitor, not only in bridge, but charades and other games. Crossword puzzles were another of her strengths.
We will all miss her at the Austin games and local tournaments, and I will have to go a long way to find as good a friend and partner as she was.
- Steve Bruce, Austin
- What a grand lady Mary was! I never told her, but she reminded me of Katherine Hepburn. She had fire and determination, and commanded everyone's respect. I loved to hear her bridge stories from the old days. And she knew so many of the old players. Johnny Gerber, Paul Hodge, Bobby Nail, Harold Rockaway, Al Roth, Howard Schenken, Vic Mitchell, Sam Stayman, and others. She had played tournament bridge against my parents, "Mary & Bubby," before I ever took up the game. She loved to work crossword puzzles and we often consulted each other on the really hard ones. I was fortunate to have her play as my partner on occasion and on many Swiss teams as well. An excellent player, partner, and opponent. She also had a wonderful sense of humor. I'll miss you, Mary.
- Betty Freedman, Houston
- Mary was such a nice lady and we had some good times together. We used to play rubber bridge for weeks at a time when she and Garner (McDaniel) were playing together. The games never ended! We went to Cancun once for a week with Mary, Richard Barberio and Marge Smith and the game went on for a solid week. One person got out to sleep--and I guess to cook something occasionally--but it was 24 hour bridge.
- Sharon Beynon, Austin
- When it comes to games, everyone knew Mary Williams was an amazing bridge player and crossword puzzler. But many may not know that she was also a champion charades player. I remember an evening spent at Carole and George Dawkins' house playing charades with George Pisk, Mary, and Alex.
Before this experience, I'd always assumed charades was a child's party game. That was before we went into the back bedroom to create clues. I suggested a few, but Mary scoffed that they were too easy!! "George Pisk and Carole and Alex will get that right away!," she said, in her usual good-humored way. "What we need is an opera clue!" The other team was thinking along the same lines. For our first clue, one of us had to act out, "Yon Casssius with a lean and hungry look" (Pisk's idea, of course!). I don't remember any other clues (except that they were all hard and literary), but I do remember having a ball. This is what an evening spent among friends is all about. I credit Mary with knowing how to make time spent with others enjoyable.
Cheers to Mary, who was a wonderful person and competitor!
Do you have a comment to make, or a story about Mary to tell? Email me 
at "stevebruce@austin.rr.com" or write it down and give it to me sometime.
