Mary Nell Lilly Whatley

It is with great sadness that we say goodbye to our Mother and Grandmother, Mary Nell Whatley, who passed away on October 13, 2024. Mary Nell showed a great deal of strength and determination during her life. She was born on September 9th, 1936, in Houston, Texas to Charlie and Gladys Lilly.

Family and friends are invited to a graveside service honoring her that will be held at Cook-Walden Capital Parks Cemetery, 14501 North IH-35, Pflugerville, Texas at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 20th, with visitation an hour before at 12 p.m..

Mary Nell grew up in Pflugerville, Texas with her parents and grandparents, Henry Qualls Lowe and Nellie Lowe. She began playing her toy piano at age 3 or 4, and she continued to develop her piano-playing skills with piano lessons. Around age 9 or 10, she began playing the piano for church services at Walnut Creek Baptist Church. She was baptized and received Christ as a teenager in the church. She was a gifted musician and talked about how she used her God-given musical gifts to give back to the church. She later learned how to play the organ, and she played the organ for many years at church. She also played the organ for weddings and funerals. Mary Nell sang at different churches in the Austin area with a small group of three other singers while in high school and as a young adult. Additionally, she played the piano in many recitals that were well-attended, and played the piano for high school events. Mary Nell graduated from Pflugerville High School in May 1955. After high school, she attended and completed Nixon Clay College in Austin, Texas. She subsequently worked for Southwestern Bell for several years. In December 1956, she married Rayburn (Ray) Whatley, and they had three children together.

Mary loved her family and the dogs that she adopted over the years. She enjoyed activities with her family such as musical concerts, plays and musicals, and travel, and especially her trip to Scotland. She also loved babies, collecting dolls, and purchasing pretty jewelry (mostly from QVC). However, most of all, she enjoyed weekly visits with her children and grandchildren when they dined out together, watched movies, and played board games. She enjoyed keeping her grandchildren, and taught them many things. Additionally, she gave good, common sense advice. Even if she did not agree with decisions her family members made at times, she always had unconditional love toward them.

Mary Nell leaves behind her husband, Ray Whatley of Bastrop, Texas; her son, Stephen Whatley and his wife, Noa of San Antonio, Texas; her daughter, Sherry Whatley and her husband, Amos Wolf of Pflugerville, Texas; her grandchildren, Caleb Wolf and Ethan Wolf of Pflugerville, Texas; and her son, Monte Whatley of Austin, Texas. Her family will have fond and loving memories of her for many years to come. We will do our best to carry her love forward.