Obituary of Mary Pat Wells

Memorial Service Sunday, Aug 12, 2018 3:00 PM Mary Pat Wells November 04, 1926 - July 31, 2018 Mary Patricia (Newhouse) Wells was born on November 4, 1926 in Corona, CA. She fought a courageous battle with congestive heart failure and passed on to be with our Lord and Savior on Tuesday, July 31, 2018 at the age of 91 years old. She is survived by her son and daughter-in-law Bob & Leslie Wells, her daughter Marilyn Neumann, her granddaughter Kristen Curry, her 2 great grandson’s Brandon & Alexander Curry and her grandson Robert Neumann all of La Porte. She is also survived by her sister-in-law Althea Newhouse of Bakersfield, CA and her brother Phillip Newhouse of Corona, CA and numerous nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by husband, Lloyd Wells (of 68 years), her parents Oliver and Marie Newhouse and her brother Billy Newhouse. Mary Pat graduated from the University of Southern California (USC) in 1947 with her bachelor’s degree in music education. She first taught school in Los Angeles and Delano, CA, and after the family moved to Texas, she taught first grade in Spring Branch ISD. When the family moved to La Porte in 1963, she accepted a teaching position with La Porte ISD teaching first grade at 2 different campuses – first at La Porte Elementary, then at DeWalt Elementary for several years and then back to La Porte Elementary. She had a love for teaching, especially here in La Porte. She retired from La Porte ISD in 1986 with 24 years of service with the district and another 6 years combined in California and Spring Branch ISD. Several of her previous students went on to become teachers, counselors and administrators with La Porte ISD. Mary Pat loved to travel with Lloyd in their motor home touring all around the country on their summer breaks from teaching. She also loved sailing, sewing, knitting, gardening and the Houston Astros. She was a very active member of the La Porte Quilt Guild, La Porte Garden Club, Houston Yacht Club, La Porte Retired Teachers Association and the La Porte Heritage Society. When Mary Pat wasn’t out on the water crewing with her son on a sailboat race or sewing/gardening with her daughter in the summer, or reading to her grandchildren and later her great grandchildren, she was busy playing the piano. She and Lloyd formed the La Porte Dixieland Jazz Band and performed all around the area playing for events such as the San Jacinto Battlefield, the Battleship Texas, Sylvan Beach Pavilion, Christmas on Main Street in La Porte and on a regular basis at the Houston Yacht Club. If you named a song, she could play it. You would often see her sitting in her chair with her fingers just moving away, playing songs in her head. She loved music! We would like to thank the wonderful staff at both St. John’s Methodist Hospital in Nassau Bay and Baywind Village Skilled Nursing Facility in League City where she received excellent care at both facilities. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the La Porte Education Foundation, P.O. Box 1272 La Porte, TX 77572. Services will be held at St. John’s Episcopal Church, 815 S. Broadway and “G” Street in La Porte, TX 77571 on Sunday, August 12, 2018 at 3:00 p.m. A reception will follow in the Parish Hall there on the Church grounds.