Mary Elizabeth Godwin McEntee Beckham, of Dallas, Texas, passed away on Mothers’ Day, May 8, 2022, at the age of 92. She passed away in her home of multiple causes after 4 months of hospital, skilled nursing and rehabilitation stays.

Mary Elizabeth (as lots of people knew her but with family she had several nicknames) was born October 4, 1929, in Denton, Texas, to Alonzo Paul Godwin, Sr., and Florence Hubbard Ligon. She was preceded in death by her parents and two younger siblings - brother Alonzo Paul Godwin, Jr. (July 1986), and sister Janette Todd Godwin Newton (August 2011). Mary was also preceded in death by her first husband Owen Hillery McEntee, Jr. (September 1983) and her second husband Malcolm Lavene Beckham (August 1997). Mary is survived by her three children, her son Owen Hillery McEntee, III, of Garland, Texas, her son Michael Owen McEntee of Katy, Texas and her daughter Cynthia Ann McEntee-Baker, of Dallas, Texas, who was at her side on May 8, 2022. Mary is also survived by her 3 granddaughters, 2 grandsons, 4 great granddaughters and 2 great grandsons.

Mother was a woman ahead of her time in many ways. She graduated High School at the age of 14. She graduated college (for the first time) at the age of 18. Mother graduated from what is now known as the University of North Texas (UNT - but was known at the time of her first graduation as North Texas State Teachers College from 1923- 1949). Upon her graduation in 1949 she had earned a bachelors degree in Industrial Arts, her major was Industrial Arts, her minors were Recreation and Sociology. While going to college for the first time she worked in the library at the college. After having three children she went back to UNT in the late 1960's for her masters degree while working full-time as a public school teacher. She graduated in August 1970 with a Masters Degree of Science.  For her Master's Degree her major was Industrial Arts and her minor was in Education.

Mary taught for 32 years in the Dallas Independent School District, Dallas, TX. While she taught she worked jobs outside of school over the years, like most public education school teachers. In the late 1960's/early 1970's she taught swimming for the Red Cross during the summer. After retiring from teaching she went on to work part-time in various jobs including being a test proctor. In addition to continuing to work after retirement Mary Elizabeth was President of Dallas Retired Teachers Association (1989-1990 and 1990-1991). She was also a life-time member of Texas Retired Teachers Association.

Throughout her career as a public school teacher Mother did internships with corporations (some paid but most unpaid) during the summer from various organizations to keep learning, expanding her teaching qualifications and learning about new technologies. As a public school teacher she was once written up in the Dallas Times Herald newspaper concerning something that had happened in her class (see article below). During her teaching career she taught elementary and junior high students. At the end of her teaching career she was teaching drafting, photography, and silk-screening. In the last years of her teaching career at John B. Hood Junior High School (now known as Piedmont G.L.O.B.A.L. Academy) she was Head of her department in the school aka in charge of all the shop classes and shop teachers.

Mother was a Breast Cancer survivor for at least 11 years. Mary was a generous person. She chose throughout her life to help others in whatever way she could. Whether it was with money, simply purchasing things for them that they needed or just giving them a helping hand by helping them do what they needed to do. She always gave from her heart.

Mother will be buried in one of the family cemeteries sometime in October (at the earliest) when the weather in North Texas has hopefully cooled off a little. The cemetery is Red Oak Cemetery, in Red Oak, Texas, in Ellis County.

Mother is greatly missed by her 3 children, grandchildren and great grandchildren and always will be. Should you choose to make a donation to an organization/charity in her memory please consider the following:

Dallas Retired Teachers Association
E. D. Walker Scholarship Fund
C/O DRTA
Patricia Boren / Treasurer
9870 Shoreview Road
Dallas, TX 75238-4306
More information on DRTA can be found on the Texas Retired Teachers
Association website: https://www.trta.org/districts-and-local-units/dallas-rta/.

Susan G. Komen
Phone donations can be made by calling: 877/465-6636: prompt choice #3.
Online donations can be made by visiting their website: https://www.komen.org
Mail donations can be made by mailing to their address which is as follows:
Susan G. Komen
13770 Noel Road Suite 801889
Dallas, TX 75380-0147
All of the above Komen information can also be found on their website.

Texas Retired Teachers Foundation (TRTF)
313 E. 12th Street
Suite 220
Austin, TX 78701-1957
Phone donations can be made by calling:
800/880-1650 or 512/476-1003
Online donations can be made by visiting their website: https://www.trtf.org.
All of the above TRTF information can also be found on their website.

GoFundMe, https://gofund.me/6f1870cl.