Mary Schweppe Obituary

Mary Virgene Woolston Schweppe

The life of Mary Virgene Woolston Schweppe, 90, Lawrence, ended on November 2 of 2013 in neurological palliative care at The University of Kansas Hospital. Mary was born on February 25 of 1923 in Wakenda Township of Carroll County Missouri to Harry and Grace Dickson Woolston. She married Earl Justin Schweppe on June 29 of 1948 in Kansas City, Kansas.

Mary was valedictorian of her class at Wakenda High in 1941. She graduated from the Kansas City Business College in 1942 with proficiency in shorthand and rapid accurate typing as well as the other skills necessary to serve as a secretary to executives. While in this program she lived with the family of a senior executive. She was treated like family and helped care for their two young daughters.

After graduation Mary lived for a year with her brother's family in San Diego where she worked for the telephone company. She then returned to Kansas City and worked as a secretary at North American Aviation in North Kansas City, Kansas, where B25 Bombers were being built. After the war she was secretary to a group of corporate salesmen at Aetna Insurance Company at 10th and Grand in Kansas City.

In 1950 Mary and Earl moved to Urbana, Illinois, where their children were born in 1950, 1952, and 1955 at Carle Memorial Hospital while Earl was earning an MS and PhD in Mathematics. She also did technical typing for other graduate students and made clothes for herself and the children. This was followed by two years in Lincoln, four in Ames, and seven in Silver Spring, Maryland.

In 1964 Earl became a member of the ACM national Curriculum Committee on Computer Science which had been charged to discern what might be taught in colleges and universities. A year later an NSF grant was obtained and he became Secretary to handle the technical details of the work. This was in addition to his teaching load and with poor clerical assistance. Mary worked for three years on this endeavor--largely without pay.

About a hundred scholars and experts were involved and Mary became acquainted with many of them both in the work and socially. She provided assistance including taking dictation at numerous national meetings, typed all of the many drafts, did research to assure that the large number of citations were correct and in the precise format required for publication. "Curriculum 68: Recommendations for Academic Programs in Computer Science" appeared in the March issue of the Communications of ACM. No one else deserves more credit for the quality of that effort.

The curriculum was inserted into the catalog of the University of Kansas in April of 1968--probably the first school to implement it-- and by September some nine hundred students were sitting in classes based on it.

Mary is survived by Earl at home: Marla in Rochester NY and her son Devin in Seattle; Eric in Lawrence with Donna Eades and her children Isabel and Jack; and Roger and wife Darlene in Topeka and their sons in Lawrence. Justin with Janelle Bachand, and Derick and wife Amy; one cousin Charles Ramsey in Carrollton MO; and numerous nephews and nieces. She was predeceased- by her parents, Brothers Harry in Paris, Texas, E.D. in Mound City, and Dale in Joplin and a Sister Naomi Doty in Shawnee.

Mary was a Friend of the Lawrence Public Library for nearly four decades: Pricer of many categories, President, Book Sale Chairman, Membership Chairman and also one of the original members of the Library Foundation Board. The tents behind the Library for the Book Sales were her idea. "Her contributions are impossible to count", wrote Mary Burchill.

Contributions may be made to the Friends of the LPL, 700 New Hampshire 66044.

An informal Celebration of Life for Mary will be held at Liberty Hall on Saturday November 30 from 10 AM to 2 PM. Some remarks about her life will be offered at 11 and 1. There will be music--including dance music from the 1940s. Refreshments will be available and you may bring a covered dish for a luncheon at noontide--an old country custom. You may come and go or stay as long as you please.

Condolences may be sent to Earl at [email protected].

Please sign this guestbook at Obituaries.LJWorld.com.