Mary Louise Splane

In Loving Memory of Mary Louise Splane

Born Maria Luisa Melendez on January 9, 1930, in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, to Lorenzo and Gavina, Mary’s life was one of courage, faith, love, and an unwavering devotion to others.

In 1935, her family migrated to San Antonio, Texas, where Mary attended Catholic school. As a young woman, she followed her calling into nursing school to pursue a career in service to others. She often shared stories from that time, recalling how she and her friend "Bugs" loved going down to Fort Sam Houston to meet GIs (to her mother's likely dismay!). One evening at an NCO club, she noticed a handsome young Army soldier named Joseph Dewey Splane. After chatting for a bit, the night ended, and they went their separate ways, but they returned the following evening. As Mary and Bugs were walking outside near the club, fate intervened: Joe drove by, spotted them, and called out, "Hey sugar, come here." As Mary later recalled, "Although he called over to our group, I knew I was the sugar he was referring to."

After a period of courtship, Joe asked her, "How would you like your last name to be Splane?" She gladly agreed. At a time when interracial marriage was against the law in Texas, Mary and Joseph refused to let the laws of the day decide whom they could love. Together, they crossed the border into Mexico to be married. Joe didn't speak Spanish, so when it came time to answer questions, Mary simply advised him, "Just say sí when spoken to by the priest." That was all it took to get them through!

From that moment forward, Mary and Joseph built a life together—one filled with love, adventure, military moves, and a growing family. Their journey took them to Germany, Kansas, and Southern California as they welcomed ten children. After years of moving from state to state, they eventually settled at Fort Ord and in Marina, California, where Mary continued caring for others through her work at Silas B. Hays Army Community Hospital.

In the late 1970s, following what she described as a transformative encounter with Christ, her faith became the center of her life. She founded her own prayer group, Christian Women of Prayer (CWOP), and faithfully led regular prayer meetings until just a few months before her passing.

People continually came to Mary seeking guidance, comfort, prayer, and anointing. She had a way of making people feel seen, heard, and loved. To Mary, there were no strangers; everyone was a child of God, and everyone was worthy of prayer, love, and salvation. She didn’t simply tell people about her faith—she lived it. Her home, her heart, and her prayers were always open. Whether someone was a lifelong friend, a family member, or a person she had just met, Mary welcomed them with the same compassion.

Mary was also the heart of a large and loving family. She leaves behind eight of her ten children: Joanne (Vincent), Joseph Dewey III, Sonya, Mary, Sandra, John, Jason (Sonya), and Jamal (Claudia). She is also survived by her sister, Flora, 15 grandchildren, and 18 great-grandchildren.

Mary was preceded in death by her parents, Lorenzo and Gavina; her beloved husband, Joseph Dewey II; her sons, Mickey and Raul; her brother, Oswaldo; and her granddaughter, Natalie.

Her life spanned generations and crossed borders. She was a daughter, wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, healthcare worker, deacon, prayer warrior, and friend to countless people. Perhaps the greatest way to remember Mary is simply this:

God was the love of her life. His love was expressed through her to others. If you needed prayer, she prayed. If you needed guidance, she listened. If you needed love, she gave it. And if you crossed her path, you became part of her story.

Mary leaves behind a legacy that cannot be measured simply by the years she lived, but by the lives she touched, the prayers she lifted, the family she built, and the faith she passed on to those who loved her.

She lovingly counted the days until she would rejoin her husband, Joe, who was waiting for her in Heaven. May she rest in eternal peace, reunited with the loved ones who went before her, and may the countless prayers she offered for others now surround her.