Mary E. McAllister

Mary Elizabeth (Mary Beth) McAllister Born November 10 1950, in Sioux Falls South Dakota, Died March 12, 2012, in San Antonio Texas. After a long battle with cancer, Mary Beth was welcomed into the arms of God and His son Jesus Christ. She fought a valiant battle against this horrible disease for over a year. The McAllister family wishes to thank the many care givers who helped and supported her through her many agonizing treatments, especially The START center, Dr. Lisa Fichtal MD, Dr. Richard Newman MD, and our friend LaDonna who lovingly nicknamed her "trouble" because Mary Beth hated getting her chemo treatments. Of course Mary Beth during her life was anything but trouble, she was nurturing and loving to everyone who came into her life. She was a most giving and compassionate nurse starting out in the cardiac ICU, but decided to leave after being told that she was getting too attached to the heart patients who were in her care. She moved to Calgary Alberta Canada to help in her other vocation of accounting, to work for Max Pasley Enterprises, the McDonalds restaurant franchisee, where she met her husband John McAllister a local media executive. They were married on March 4, 1978 and welcomed two beautiful boys Johnny and Timmy into their lives. In 1984 John accepted a management position for a major National Sign Company and the family came to San Antonio. Mary Beth missed the nursing profession and returned to what she loved and went to work in the office of Dr. Dianne McMains a local pediatrician. She was so happy every day working with the parents and the children who loved her, where over years the she would see some of them, now grown, but remember her as an angel in their lives. She left pediatrics and joined the staff of Dr. Victor Estrada, a popular allergy specialist, where she remained until she was unable to work anymore. Mary Beth has left an enormous void in the lives of so many, who are left behind, but all would agree the she is watching over all of us as we continue to seek her love and guidance. Mary Beth is survived by her loving husband John, sons Johnny and Timmy, stepchildren Laurel, David and Mark and their families, her brothers Tim and Pat, sister, Jill, and their families, many nieces and nephews and countless friends close to her over the years, who she also considered "family". A Mass celebrating her place in heaven, will be on March 24 at St Mark the Evangelist Catholic church 1602 Thousand Oaks, San Antonio Texas 78232. The time of the Mass will be posted on the church website www.stmarkevangelist.org or by calling 210-494-1606.