Mary R. Powell passed away August 5, 2020 at Sunrise of Naperville North, Naperville, IL, at the age of 91. She was born May 5, 1929, in Zellwood, Florida. She moved to Chicago with her mother as a teenager after her father died. Mary attended St. Paul (MN) Bible College and the top-ranked Medill School of Journalism in Chicago.

Mary attended Southside Alliance Church in Chicago, pastored by A.W. Tozer, and met her future husband, Wil, there. After she and Wil married in 1959, they moved to Villa Park, IL, and raised two children, Becky and David. Mary loved Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior and served as an adult Sunday School teacher for many years at Lombard (IL) Bible Church.

Mary worked from home as a journalism instructor for Christian Writers Institute when her children were young, and was well loved by her students. She said that if she had to say something negative about their work, she made sure to include several positive comments to compensate. Later she served as director for Christian Writers Institute.
As a mom Mary trusted her children and gave them the gift of not being a helicopter parent--from letting her 5- and 9-year-olds go (without Mom or Dad) on horse trail rides at a dude ranch in Colorado, to sending her 14- and 18-year-olds off with the only family car and popup trailer (without Mom or Dad) to go camping.

She loved reading and traveling, and planned wonderful vacations for her family. At age 81 she fulfilled her lifelong desire to go to Europe when she and her daughter, Becky, toured Scotland, the land of their ancestors.

Mary was preceded in death by her father, Americus C. Allen; mother, Idalene M. Davis Allen; husband, Wilbur D. Powell; and son, David A. Powell. She is survived by her daughter, Rebecca M. Allen-Powell.

Due to the ongoing world health crisis, a memorial service to celebrate Mary's life will be held at a later date.