Birth date: Feb 22, 1938 Death date: Jul 13, 2023
Mary Karr Handley, a beloved former elementary school teacher, piano teacher and public speaker, passed away peacefully surrounded by her loving family on July 13, 2023, at the age of 85. Mary left an indelible mark on the countle Read Obituary
Sharing on behalf of Denyse & Greg Gripentrog:
My husband, Greg Gripentrog, met Mary and her husband, Richard, in 1976 when he was teaching in Dallas Seminary's Lay Institute. He was thrilled that they enrolled in his Personal Evangelism class which he taught during his final semester as student at Dallas Seminary. I clearly remember him coming home and sharing about "this wonderful couple" in his class! We were blessed with a newborn little daughter, our first child, and Mary brought a lovely gift for her to the very next class. I couldn't wait to meet Mary and thank her in person! Generosity and thoughtfulness were hallmark commitments of her life. Mary and Richard were among the very first friends to commit to monthly support for us when we became missionaries. They offered to host a home meeting where we were given the opportunity to freely share our financial needs with their friends. They continued to invest MONTHLY in our ministry all the decades since then until Jesus called Mary home. We always looked forward to visiting them on our furloughs and became acquainted with their children and frequently wrote personal letters to each other. When Mary began her years as a public speaker, doing book review at women's clubs, I always longed to go with her. She was such an excellent communicator with a wonderful sense of humor and often gave me a copy of the books she reviewed. I watched her rely on the Lord so firmly during Richard's cancer journey. What an inspiration she was to me during those difficult days. She was a truly committed prayer partner for me personally. She frequently replied to my prayer updates with deep wisdom and compassion. Even after her serious illness, when we visited her, she was firm in her confidence in the love and goodness of God. Greg and I are so grateful that Carrie found one of our missionary letters after her mom's homegoing and contacted us immediately. We also deeply appreciated Scott calling us to let us know the date of her memorial service and share some precious memories with us. We remember Kay as a little girl, too, and how much Mary loved her children and grandchildren. Heaven feels nearer knowing Mary is there now with Richard. We are very sorry we can't be at the celebration of her life. We love this dear woman as a treasured sister in the Lord and anticipate a reunion with her in God's timing. May God's grace and comfort be felt by all the family and her many friends.
Denyse & Greg Gripentrog
OC International (One Challenge) missionaries to the Philippines, Indonesia and Singapore, now serving from Colorado Springs, gratefully supported for 47 years by our dear friends, Mary and Richard Handley
I have known Mary's family for many years through her sister, Suzie. Mary and I both graduated from North Dallas High School. I went with her to the Alumni Meetings the last couple of years. I did not know her during our school days as she was almost two years behind me. On one of Suzie's visits to Texas, she suggested I join Mary's Bible Study Group, which I did. Through the Study, we became close friends outside the Bible Study Group. I will miss our "girlie" talks, our happy hours and just quality time visiting. The selfish side of me did not want to let her go but her wings were ready even though my heart was not. I have no doubt because of her strong Christian believe her wings have carried her to her 'forever" home where Richard has been waiting for her. I pray for comfort and peace for Suzie, Kari, Kaye, Scott and Robb at this most difficuilt time. Blessings to all.
Paula Casey
I am so sorry to hear of Mary's passing!! I met Mary back in 2014 when I bought a house that kept getting mail addressed to her. My hubby found her on the Internet and I sent her an email letting her know that she had mail coming to our house and I gave her my contact info. She phoned me and let me know that she couldn't believe she was getting mail at our house because her family sold it back in1995! She explained that her and her husband had the house built in 1978. She came by to pick her mail up and brought along Scott (and I believe a daughter and granddaughter too) who were excited to tour their old home. It was so fun to meet Mary and see her excitement at what was still the same and what all had changed. Scott shared some cute stories about growing up in this house and gave me advice as to which room should not be a teen's room because it was too easy to sneak out. :) After that initial encounter, Mary and I became periodic pen pals; she would come across photos that showed what our house originally looked like and send them and I would send her photos of my current redecorating projects. The last time I got to see Mary in person was in 2018. We had our swimming pool remodeled and my daughter (then 10 years old) made her a mosaic cross out of some of the original pool tiles removed during the remodel. I delivered the cross to her residence and she was so happy with such a small token. I feel so fortunate I got to meet the original owner/builder of our home and what a beautiful and kind person she was. I know from her beautiful Christmas cards that she was a strong Christian woman and is enjoying Heaven right now!:heart:
I met Mary in January 2023 as her caregiver. Almost immediately she adopted me into her family. She was kind and sassy! I was able to get her to show that side to me pretty often because I would pull joke around with her all the time! A memory I would like to share is when I would relieve her to another caregiver I would mention how much water she’d drink on my shift. She would say that she drunk more. I would say no, you drunk this much. She’d say “OKAY MOM”! I would laugh cause I know she was frustrated with me but when I was about to leave she would ask me when I was coming back. That would always warm my heart ♥️! I love and miss her so much!
Friends and family of Mary Handley: we are having a Celebration of Life for her:
Wednesday, August 9th
6:00 to 8:00pm
Gleneagles Country Club
5401 W Park Blvd
Plano, TX 75093
(972) 867-6666
Please join us to share fond memories and swap stories, raise a glass and share some food as we celebrate the life of Mary Karr Handley with those that knew and loved her well. We will have a small remembrance service for her from approx 6:45 to 7:15 after which we will continue the hugs, tears and laughter. We would be honored to see you there. Scott, Kari, Kaye and the family.
Also - whether you’re attending or not, I’d love to receive any of your personal stories of our mom by email or text that anyone would care to share with us. Whether they are funny, endearing, sentimental, uplifting or all of the above, we will cherish them and I’d like to put them together for others to read, enjoy and cherish as well. We all know our own stories of Mary, but gathering together and sharing stories will help us get a more complete picture of the impact she had wherever she went. (If you’d rather share a story that not be shared with others, let me know that as well and I’ll honor your wishes). Please reach out to me directly or ask others you know for my contact information. Thanks again in advance, Scott Handley
Mary was our next door neighbor for over 20 years and was always kind and helpful. May her memory be a blessing. 😢🌈
Mary was a great blessing to the world. I remember when I first met her and Richard in their garage at Sherril Court. From the moment I met them, they invited me in and treated me as one of their own kids.
One great memory I have was the first time my mom and Mary met. We were running errands in Plano and I decided to take a chance and see if she was home. As always, she opened the door gave me a warm hug, and invited us in. Within minutes we were all sitting at the kitchen table enjoying a bottle of wine and telling stories. I remember thinking what a great time I was having with these two special women in my life.
I will miss her greatly and appreciate her including me in her life's journey.
Larry
