Mary Jane Mccain

Mary Jane McCain, loving and faithful Christian wife and mother, left for Heaven on May 18, 2019 at the age of 84. She was born November 11, 1934 to Lorenz and Helen Hirlinger in Lafayette, Indiana. The family moved to Beaumont, Texas, where Mary Jane attended school. In 1950 she met Zack McCain, Jr. while in high school. They were married in 1953 and subsequently lived in Beaumont; Memphis, Tennessee; Fort Worth, Texas; Irving, Texas; Arlington, Virginia; and Lorton, Virginia. The couple moved to Norman, Oklahoma in 1973 and have called it home ever since.

Mary Jane is survived by her husband of over 65 years, Zack McCain; six children: Deborah Aldridge and husband Steven of Plano, Texas, Zack McCain, III and wife Wendy of Dalton, Massachusetts, Thomas McCain of Norman, Mark McCain of Norman, James McCain and wife Erin of Rogers, Arkansas, and Linda Davis and husband Chuck of Nevada, Texas; eleven grandchildren: Brittainy Stone, Lucas McCain, Steven Aldridge, II, Kristine Seale, Jacob Davis, Madeline McCain, Isaac McCain, Zack McCain, IV, Jaylee McCain, Ruthie McCain, Roxy McCain, and Aidan McCain; three great-grandchildren: Claire Linnea Stone, Eden Isabella Stone, and Carson McCain; sister Hope Malcolm of Houston, Texas; brother Louis Hirlinger of Edmond, Oklahoma; sister-in-law Norma Jean Laudig of Lumberton, Texas; and many nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews.

Mary Jane studied bookkeeping, accounting, and secretarial science at Lamar College and was working in accounting at a bank when she and Zack were married. She later focused her attention on homemaking and motherhood and was an exceptional cook; according to Zack she made better apple pies then anyone else on this planet. Mary Jane loved to sew and was an excellent seamstress. While raising the children she made most of her clothes and many dresses for her daughters, even making a sail for a sailboat that Zack and their sons built in exchange for a new swing needle Singer sewing machine. Mary Jane never went out in that boat, but she watched from the shore while her boys sailed it around the lake. Maybe that was because she watched it being built!

Mary Jane later went back to work, at first doing secretarial work and accounting for University Church of Christ, then bookkeeping for a credit union and a bank, and lastly as an insurance clerk/specialist for Norman Clinic. When Zack retired and started an engineering consulting practice, she was the vice president in charge of finances. As a credit to her skill in this area, she was able to make sure that Zack made more than he spent, while still having fun and doing good in the process. She was also an excellent proofreader and was a great contributor to Zack’s work.

Mary Jane loved to travel, and as a testimony to that went on several camping trips in a tent trailer with Zack and their six children, including vacations to Colorado, Niagara Falls, and Cape Cod. She visited 49 of the 50 states and five Canadian Provinces, as well as made visits to Germany and England. While living in Virginia Mary Jane enjoyed taking the children to museums and historic sites in Washington, D.C. and surrounding areas. Mary Jane helped with many mission trips and Christian work trips and was awarded a special commendation by the Rock Creek Youth Camp Board of Directors in 1980 for her work and support.

Mary Jane loved to sing and served with the Alameda Singing group for years. In her last year at Brookdale Senior Living Center she was known for pushing her walker around and singing. Just last week she joined in clapping, smiling, and singing happy birthday to one of her fellow residents. She is singing in Heaven now.

The family requests that contributions in Mary Jane’s memory be made to the Alzheimer’s Association (www.alz.org/donate).

Her family will be present to receive friends from 6:00-8:00 pm in the funeral home’s event center on Friday, May 24th. Services to celebrate Mary Jane’s life will be held at 10:00 am on Saturday, May 25th at Alameda Church of Christ in Norman (801 Alameda St), with burial following at Sunset Memorial Park (2301 E Indian Hills Rd, Norman).