Mary Ellen Quick

Mary, of Arlington TX, passed away on Wednesday, September 16th , 2026, in Arlington TX. She will always be remembered as a loving mother and grandmother to all that knew and loved her. She was born on November 30th, 1931 in Greensburg, Indiana to Goldie and Richard Gillespie.

Mary Ellen Quick was the oldest of four sisters and grew up on her family’s farm, where hard work and family life shaped her from an early age. The family raised soybeans, broomcorn, cattle, chickens, and kept a household garden. On the side Mary’s father made brooms for extra income. Every Sunday, the family would drive into town to watch a movie, a special outing that Mary remembered fondly.

Mary learned many of the skills that would stay with her throughout her life from her paternal grandmother, Bertha Gillespie, who lived on the neighboring farm about a mile away. Her grandmother taught her how to bake pies, keep house, and care for a family. From an early age, Mary took on many responsibilities on the farm. She led a blind horse while plowing fields and learned to drive a tractor when she was only nine years old. She helped raise baby chicks that arrived from the post office in cardboard boxes after being ordered from the Sears catalog, something she always found amusing. Before school each morning, Mary milked the cows and fed the livestock.

Life on the farm required a lot of work, and being the eldest, Mary took on many responsibilities. The family did not have running water, and Mary grew up using an outhouse and sharing bathwater with her sisters after water was drawn from the farm well. She rode the school bus for about an hour each way and helped teach her younger sister, Midgie, Norma Faye Barker, how to read and write.

Mary attended a one-room schoolhouse through the fifth grade before continuing her education at the city school. From sixth through twelfth grade, she especially enjoyed singing with her best friend Sally at school events and family gatherings. She also served as scorekeeper for her high school basketball games. At times during high school, Mary stayed with other local families to help them through difficult periods, reflecting the sense of responsibility and generosity that remained part of her character throughout her life. Mary and her family also picked blackberries to sell, eventually earning enough money to help the family purchase their first Model T Ford truck.

After graduating from high school, Mary moved to Connersville, Indiana, where she lived with a woman and her daughter. In Connersville, Mary worked at a bank and became friends with her coworker Betty Quick, later Betty Hazelrigg. Betty introduced Mary to her brother, George Ansen Quick, beginning a marriage and partnership that would span more than six decades.

Mary and George were married on October 21, 1951, at East Side Methodist Church in Connersville, Indiana. They celebrated their honeymoon at Niagara Falls.

After George’s mother passed away, Mary and George moved to Detroit, Michigan, to help care for George’s father, Bernice, whom the family knew as Pop. They lived on the second floor of his home. Later, they moved to Toledo, Ohio, and lived for a year or two with George’s sister Virginia, known as Ginny, and her husband Dick, one of George’s Army friends. While in Toledo, Mary continued her banking career and worked as a loan officer.

In 1955, Mary and George purchased their first home on James Street in Livonia, Michigan, and welcomed their son Steve. Three years later, their daughter Lisa Quick was born in 1958. Tragically, Lisa passed away in 1959.

In 1960, Mary, George, and Steve moved to Garden City, Michigan, where their son Robin Allen Quick was born in 1961. While raising her children, Mary worked part-time at Hudson’s department store in retail sales in the shoe department.

Family travel became an important part of their lives. Mary and George took their children on road trips throughout the country, creating memories in California, the Rocky Mountains, Florida, Niagara Falls, Myrtle Beach, Daytona Beach, the Petrified Forest in Arizona, and the Grand Canyon. Summers often included trips back to the family farm in Indiana, and about every other month the family would return to visit Mary’s relatives there.

Mary and George retired together in 1983, when Mary was 52 and George was 58. The following year, they moved to Corsicana, Texas, where they lived in a mobile home so they could be closer to their sons Steve and Robin and their daughter-in-law Jackie, who were living in Irving. Their mobile home was later moved to Keene, Texas, where they lived until purchasing their final home in Arlington, TX in 1991.

During retirement, Mary and George enjoyed spending their winters in the Rio Grande Valley, traveling in their fifth-wheel trailer with their beloved brown poodle, Chloe.

In November 2007, their granddaughter Alexandra Jin Quick arrived from China and became a cherished part of Mary’s life. Mary and Alexandra shared many special moments together, especially baking cookies and pies. Every Christmas, Mary crocheted pairs of booties for members of the family, and she later taught Alexandra how to crochet as well.

Mary and George also helped care for Alexandra while her mother, Jackie, was battling cancer. Family was always at the center of Mary’s life, and she was someone everyone could depend on during both joyful and difficult times.

After George passed away in 2017, Robin moved in with Mary and became her caretaker through her final years. Mary and Robin continued making memories together, including frequent trips to Las Vegas, where they always had a wonderful time.

Mary also treasured time spent with Steve, Robin, and Alexandra. Together, they enjoyed visiting local museums and thrift stores and taking trips to Oklahoma to visit casinos. Whether traveling far from home or simply spending an afternoon together, Mary valued the experiences she shared with her family.

Mary was the matriarch of her family: strong, capable, resourceful, and deeply loved. From her childhood working on an Indiana farm to raising a family of her own and later becoming a beloved grandmother, she carried with her the lessons of hard work, perseverance, generosity, and devotion to family.

Whenever someone in the family had a problem, Mary seemed to know the solution. Her wisdom, stories, traditions, and love will remain with her family for generations to come.

Mary is survived by sons Steven Richard Quick, of Hurst TX and Robin Allen Quick, of Arlington TX and granddaughter Alexandra Jin Quick, of Hurst TX.