Marcia Jean Mason McKemie
Marcia Jean Mason McKemie was born on May 15, 1954 and passed away on Aug. 21, 2012.
Jean is survived by her husband, William M. McKemie, of Dale; her brother and sister-in-law, Richard and Mary Mason, of Dallas and College Station; her uncle and aunt, W.H. and Bernice Elmore, of Dallas; cousins David and Paul Elmore and families; and brother-in-law Myles McKemie and family,
of Lake Travis.
She was predeceased by her sister, Suzanne Mason, of Austin; her parents, Raymond and Sue Mason; and her grandparents: George and Viola Mason and W. H. and Sunshine Elmore, all of Dallas.
Jean always enjoyed sharing the same birth date with her sister, Suzanne.
Jean graduated from Hillcrest High School in Dallas in 1972. She then attended Southwestern University in Georgetown on a Valecdictorian Scholarship. There, she received a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and Physics with Honors in 1976. The University of Texas in Austin awarded her a Masters in Mechanical Engineering in 1979. Then a PhD in Mathematics from the same university in 1986. She pursued post graduate studies at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and the University of Helsinki in Finland. Her mathematical field was Complex Analysis, specifically Quasiconformal Mappings.
Jean”s employment history includes Tracor Inc, Applied Research Laboratory, University of Texas at Austin, University of Missouri at Rolla as well as St Edwards University in Austin
At St Edwards, she eventually became a tenured full Professor and went on to become the first Brother Lucian Blersch Professor. Her greatest endeavor at St Edwards was the creation and promotion of undergraduate research programs in Mathematics. Highly respected for her expertise and recognized for her tireless service to students and the university community, she was awarded the Teaching Excellence Award, the Outstanding Advisor Award, and the Faculty Award for Outstanding Contributions to Students from the Texas Section of the Mathematical Association of America.
Jean married William Moores McKemie on May 14, 1976 in Austin. She selflessly supported his farming addiction throughout the rest of her life. More recently, she has been very supportive of his EV addiction. They have resided on a farm near Dale in Caldwell County for 38 years. And there she will be buried.
Jean died of stage IV breast cancer, which was first diagnosed one and a half years ago, and of the treatment thereof. She was first treated for breast cancer starting in 1995.
No services are planned. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations be made in memory of Dr. M. Jean McKemie designated to the Dr. M. Jean McKemie Memorial Fund at St. Edward”s University, University Advancement, 3001 S. Congress Ave., Austin, Texas 78704-6489. Online contributions may be made at http://stedwards.edu/makegifts.
