Mary Lou Arthur

Mary Lou Arthur, age 98, passed away September 3, 2026 in Denver, CO after several weeks of declining health. Mary was born in Olney, TX on May 27, 1928 to Wallace Dixon and Eleatha (nee Turnbow) Cunningham. She graduated from Artesia (NM) High School and later moved to Albuquerque, where she worked as a filing clerk at Sandia National Laboratories. There she met Bryan “Jim” Arthur and they were married on August 11, 1951.

Early in life, Mary placed her faith in Jesus Christ for her salvation. She and Jim were active members of Crestview Baptist Church. Her faith worked out in a passion for missions and evangelism. Mary was a gracious hostess, often serving dinners of roast beef and baked potatoes to visiting missionaries and evangelists. For several years, Friday evening youth meetings and New Year’s Eve socials were held at the Arthur home. After thirty years at Crestview, Jim and Mary moved to First Baptist and finally to Sandia Baptist Church.

Mary began a serious hobby of birdwatching in her early 40s, rapidly gaining a reputation for an encyclopedic mind related to every aspect of birds and bird life. Associated with her hobby were camping, hiking, and travel throughout North and Central America. She made friends easily and formed deep friendships in the midst of all of her activities.

Mary deeply loved her family and treasured every minute spent with them. At 93, she moved to Denver to be closer to family. She quickly became involved in her retirement community, making new friends and maintaining an active and community-involved life up to her 98th birthday. Water exercise, book club, monthly luncheons, lectures delivered by the Active Minds program, and town hall meetings filled her schedule. Absences from any of these activities were rare.

Mary is survived by her children Amy Ray of Portland, OR, Matthew (Cathy) of Ashland, OH, Cathy Frunz, Patricia Arthur, and Nancy (John) Carroll, all of the Denver area, grandchildren Alan (Tina), Anita, and Scott Ray; Laura (Vern) Osborne, Evan (Kathleen) and Teresa Arthur; Danika and Garrick (Alex) Frunz; Jillianne and Ethan Carroll, five great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Jim, of 65 years, and brothers Wilburn, Wallace Dean “WD”, Aaron, and Jimmie.

A graveside service for the family will be held at Santa Fe National Cemetery at a later date.