Mary Chandler Selcer

Mary Alice Chandler Selcer (Milner), 93, of Euless, TX, passed away peacefully on April 28, 2026. She was born on September 28, 1932 in Jackson, Mississippi, to Ora Goodale Milner and Christian Arnold Milner. Her only brother, Chris, was born May 18, 1940 and was soon diagnosed with Down Syndrome. While somewhat unusual for that time, Chris was raised and remained at home his entire 60 years of life. His love and acceptance of everyone with whom he came into contact had a constant and lasting positive impact on Mary Alice, as well as the entire extended family.

The Milners moved to Louisville, Kentucky for a time before setting in Marshall, Texas. Arnold held various jobs and eventually settled into the Savings and Loan business where, despite having no college degree, he rose to the title of Vice President. Ora, who worked as a bookkeeper prior to having children, made the decision to spend her life at home devoting her love and energies to raising and supporting Mary Alice and Chris.

While in her early years, Mary Alice studied piano, sand in choirs, and was active within The First Methodist Church, Marshall. Music, education, and church were her passions that remained constant throughout her life. She graduated from Marshall High School in 1050 and went on to earn her Bachelor of Journalism degree from North Texas State Teacher’s College in Denton, Texas, in 1954, where she worked on the campus newspaper and was the editor of the “Yucca”, the campus yearbook, her Senior year. While at North Texas, Mary Alice served as the Resident Assistant for her dormitory, sang in Grand Chorus, and was a member of the Gamma Nu chapter of Delta Gamma (women’s) Fraternity. She also was active within the Wesley Foundation where she met her future husband, William H. Chandler, Jr., of Port Arthur, Texas.

Mary Alice and Bill married on August 21, 1954 and moved to Monohans, Texas where Bill was the high school choir director and Mary Alice taught high school English. Two years later, Bill took a position as the high school choir director in Lovington, New Mexico. Bill would go back and attend North Texas during the summer breaks, eventually earning his Masters degree in Music Education. Their three children were born while living in Lovington: William Brant, born in 1957, Christy Alison, born in 1959, and Steven Blake in 1963.

In 1967, in search of his Doctoral degree in Guidance and Counseling at North Texas, the family moved to Denton, Texas where Bill and Mary Alice both had teaching careers with Bill eventually commuting daily to Trinity High School, in Euless, Texas. The family moved to Euless in the fall of 1976. Mary Alice taught at various levels including kindergarten, sixth grade, and Special Education. She ended her career in the Hurst, Euless, Bedford ISD teaching on the Harwood Junior High campus and the KEYS campus before retiring in 1997.

Throughout their lives, Bill and Mary Alice were devoted and consistent members of the Methodist Church (now the United Methodist Church), with Bill typically directing the choir and Mary Alice singing in the ensemble. She taught 4 year olds Sunday school class for many years at FUMC Denton.

Bill had an unexpected heart attack and passed in 1983. Many years later, Mary Alice reacquainted with a friend from Marshall, Texas, Bill Selcer, who at the time was living in St. Louis, Missouri. They were married in 1998 and before Bill’s passing in 2003, they enjoyed traveling between St. Louis and Euless, attending Texas Rangers and St. Louis Cardinals baseball games and spending time with friends and family. Mary Alice seldom missed a broadcast Rangers game and even worked for the Rangers in the ticket office for several summers.

Mary Alice loved working in her yard, gardens, and green house, still mowing her lawn into her 80’s! She was an accomplished baker, baking wedding cakes, groom’s cakes, and birthday cakes for many friend and friends of friends. She continued to play the piano preferring Chopin and Scott Joplin’s “Maple Leaf Rag”, and loved attending symphony and choral concerts throughout her life. She served as a volunteer for the Van Cliburn competition for many years.

Above all else, Mary Alice was devoted to her children and grandchildren, her church, and her community. She adored her three grandsons and was their amazing “Meemaw”. She was a consistent, warm, accepting, and welcoming presence at church and wherever she went. Mary Alice was a member of the daughters of the American Republic, Texas State Teachers Association, and Delta Gamma DFW Alumnae Association. She served on the advisory board of the First United Methodist Church in Fort Worth and volunteered at the First Street Mission for many years. Mary Alice was a consistent supporter of the Methodist Church Justice Ministry at the Fort Worth church and a faithful member of the Wesley Bible Study Sunday school class.

Mary Alice is survived by her son, Brant Chandler and his wife, Donna Martin of Fort Worth, Texas; her daughter Alison Haygood, of Keller, Texas; grandsons Jake Haygood, and wife Kristen, of Austin, Texas; Zack Haygood, of Keller, Texas; Luke Haygood and wife Jess, of San Marcos, Texas; and first cousins, Mary Law, of New Hudson, Michigan; Henry Shotts, of Ridgeland, Mississippi; and Helen Carmichael Morrison, of Brandon, Mississippi.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Ora and Arnold Milner, of Marshall, Texas; her brother, Chris Milner, of Marshall, Texas; her husband Bill Chandler, of Euless, Texas; her husband, Bill Selcer of St. Louis, Missouri and Euless, Texas; and her beloved son, Blake Chandler, of Euless, Texas.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the First Street Methodist Mission or the Justice Ministry of First United Methodist Church, Fort Worth, Texas. You may go to: www.fumcfw.org