Mary Ruth Hurst Hirsch was born August 20, 1926 to Calvin and Lucinda Caroline (Brinkley) Hurst in Hiwassee, Virginia, a small rural town in the southern VA Blue Ridge Mountains. She grew up as a farm girl on the banks of the New River without the comforts of indoor plumbing and electricity.

After graduating from Pulaski High School, she moved to Washington, DC for work and at the age of 20 married a U.S. Army officer. She traveled the world, including Japan and Germany. After 20 years as a “stay at home wife and mother”, she found herself single again. Upon moving to Galveston, TX in 1977, she enrolled in Galveston College at the age of 50. She earned her RN and subsequently became certified in alcohol and substance abuse nursing. She spent her entire career working in this field at St. Mary’s Hospital until it closed in 1996. She was also well known for her activism in Alcoholics Anonymous.

Over the years she became a terrific golfer, won many amateur tournaments and was the local women’s champion 2 years in a row. She loved playing bridge with her friends and was sharply competitive, even in her advanced years. Her Scrabble game was fierce. She also enjoyed swimming and was an avid reader. In her later years she excelled at being a wonderful grandmother and made it a point to visit all her “grand babies” as much as possible. She truly will be missed and remembered as a wonderful person, a good friend and loving mom.

On November 7, 2019, the good Lord took our mother home to be with Him in heaven at the age of 93. She is survived by: her son, Jeffrey Hirsch and his wife Mariana of Dickinson, TX; her daughter, Nancy Morris and husband John of Traverse City, MI; 3 grandchildren, Claire Morris Clark and husband Drew of Federal Way, WA, William Reid Morris and wife Emily Van Heukelom of Grand Rapids, MI and Lorna Hirsch of Dallas, TX; and of course her delightful 4 great grandchildren, Adelaide, Miriam, Theodore and Maren.

A visitation will begin at 10:30 am with a memorial service following at 11:30 am on Friday, December 20, 2019 at Malloy & Son Funeral Home.

Mary loved to help those less fortunate and for many years supported an organization that did cleft lip & palate repair for children in underdeveloped countries. In lieu of flowers, donations in her honor may be made to SMILE TRAIN @ smiletrain.org.