Mary Katherine Walker Norwood, age 86, of Cedar Hill, Texas, went home to be with the Lord on March 6, 2026.

Born on December 23, 1939, to Frank and Thelma Walker, Mary was the second of five children. Having accepted the Lord as her Savior at a young age, Mary grew up with the sweet spirit of a peacemaker. Even amid challenging times, she carried that loving spirit within her until the Lord called her home.

Mary graduated from Torrance High School in Long Beach, California, in 1957, and earned her bachelor’s degree in education from Northwestern College in Natchitoches, Louisiana (now Northwestern State University). While in college, she served as a summer missionary through the Home Mission Board before attending Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, where she worked summers at Glorieta Baptist Camp in New Mexico.

During one of those summer camps, Mary met Warren Norwood. The two later married and welcomed their daughter, Margaret. Following their divorce in 1971, Mary and Margaret moved back to Louisiana, where Mary became the preschool director at Calvary Baptist Church in Alexandria. After several years at Calvary, Mary returned to the public-school classroom to teach elementary students, where her love for learning and children shone through in the creative projects she often brought into the curriculum.

After several years in education, Mary stepped into the world of direct sales and a new life in San Antonio, Texas, before realizing her heart was still in the classroom. She returned to education, later earning her master’s degree in library science and becoming a school librarian, where she encouraged curiosity, creativity, and craft in her students. One of her favorite projects was a handmade quilt created with a fifth-grade class, with each student illustrating a Newbery Award–winning book for their quilt square—an effort that became one of the highlights of her career.

Mary’s greatest role was that of “Grammy.” Nothing brought her more joy than time spent with her grandchildren, whose laughter and presence filled her days with purpose and delight. Whether reading together, cheering them on at their sporting events, playing games, or simply sharing everyday moments, Mary treasured being part of their lives and watching them grow.

In 2004, Mary survived a severe asthma attack. During her recovery, she prayed that the Lord would allow her to remain here long enough to see her grandchildren grow up—and graciously, He did. In time, she was even able to welcome great-grandchildren into the family, witnessing the beginning of a new generation. Even as Alzheimer’s began to touch the later years of her life, her face would still light up whenever family gathered around her.

Mary’s greatest legacy lives on in the love for Jesus and for others that she passed down to her daughter, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

Mary was preceded in death by her parents, Frank and Thelma Walker; her siblings, Betty, Dorothy, Ray, and Lola; and her great-grandson, Maverick Donnelly.

She is survived by her daughter, Margaret Donnelly, and her husband, Paul, of Cedar Hill, Texas; her grandchildren: Kara Blaise and her husband, Zac, of Lacy, Washington; Katie Watkins and her husband, Drew, of Richmond, Texas; Connor Donnelly of San Angelo, Texas; Stephen Donnelly of Carrollton, Texas; Emma Donnelly of Cedar Hill, Texas; and Benjamin Donnelly of Cedar Hill, Texas.

She is also survived by two beloved daughters-in-love, Brandy Ray and Bailey Turner (soon to be Donnelly), and four great-grandchildren: Mason, Declan, and Scarlett Watkins, and Atlas Donnelly.

A memorial service will be held Saturday, March 21, 2026, at Hillcrest Baptist Church, 265 W. Pleasant Run Rd., Cedar Hill, Texas. Visitation will begin at 10 a.m., followed by the memorial service at 10:30 a.m.

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