Mary Helen Faught Shannon

Mary Helen Faught Shannon, 87, died at her home in Fort Worth on Sunday July 26, 2026 following a lengthy illness.

Mary was born August 17, 1938 in Denton County to John Donald and Lucy Hagan Faught and grew up in Justin. She was married to George W. Shannon January 31, 1960 and they began a life of community service and civic duties. George preceded her in death in 2005.

Mary was a graduate of Northwest High School. She received her college degree in elementary education from North Texas State University, now the University of North Texas.

An accomplished tennis player, Mary was a past chairman of the Colonial Country Club Tennis Committee and past president of the Colonial Ladies Tennis Association. An outstanding cook, Mary operated a private catering service and was a past president of the Fort Worth Bon Vivant Gourmet Cooking club. She took great joy in cooking for her family and teaching her grandchildren to cook.

Mary was a past president of the North Fort Worth Woman’s Club in 1971. She was a member of the Fort Worth Lecture Foundation and a volunteer at the Tarrant Area Food Bank. She was the founding donor of “Mary’s Gift” providing breast cancer screening at Medical City Hospital in Decatur.

Mary and her late husband George were members of a Sunday Night Bridge Club that met each month for a half century prior to George’s death. The group shared many weekend trips and July 4 parties with their children at the Faught Family Farm.

Mary had many passions, the primary four being family, cooking, tennis and shopping. She was a member of Colonial Country Club and a long-time Texas Ranger Baseball season ticket holder.

Prior to joining Christ Redeemer Anglican Church, Mary had been a long-time member of St. Luke’s in the Meadow Episcopal Church.

Mary is survived by her sons, Greg (Debbie), and Curt (Sonna Cretsinger) of Fort Worth, and daughter, Marian Holdsworth (Bryan), of San Antonio; her sister, Isla Sue Rowe of Fort Worth; her grandchildren, John Shannon (Adair), Meredith Balzen (Cody), Elizabeth Ashbaugh (Carson), Marielle Holdsworth, Wil Shannon, Mally Holdsworth, Alana Shannon and seven great-grandchildren.

Family and friends will gather from 5 to7pm Wednesday, July 29, in the Great Room at Harper & Lucas, formerly Robertson Mueller Haper. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11am Thursday, July 30, at Christ the Redeemer Anglican Church, 5001 Overton Ridge Blvd. Following Committal Prayers, she will be laid to rest next to George in Oakwood Cemetery.

Expressions of Sympathy may be directed to Mary’s Gift https://www.healthywiseco.org/marys-gift, Christ the Redeemer Anglican Church https://ctrfw.org/ or a favorite charity.