Obituary of Mary Caroline Bernard Pace

Rooted in her faith and surrounded by family, Mary Caroline Bernard Pace passed away November 7, 2020 from natural causes. The daughter of Donald Montfort Bernard and Mary Woodson Sleeper Bernard, Mary was born in 1933 in Nashville, TN. Her family moved to Chevy Chase, Maryland where her father was the advertising director and later vice president of public relations of the Washington Post Times Herald. After graduating from Woodrow Wilson High School in Washington D.C., Mary attended Randolph Macon Woman’s College in Lynchburg, VA and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC. She was a member of Pi Beta Phi Fraternity as well as the Fort Worth chapter of their alumni club. In 1954, she was chosen the Dream Girl of Theta Chi Fraternity. In 1955 she married David Henry Pace, son of Dr. Samuel Eugene and Virginia More Pace of Wilmington, NC at Chevy Chase Presbyterian Church. David’s flying career enabled them to live in several cities across the United States as well as Winnipeg, Canada. Her travel experiences with her son and grandchildren – and cruises with her husband were special events in her life. Mary had a life-long interest in genealogy and compiled a three-volume set of books on their family history for her children and grandchildren. She belonged to several genealogical societies including the Daughters of the American Revolution, Colonial Dames of the XVII Century, Magna Charta Dames, and the National Society of Washington Family Descendants. She also belongs to the Woman’s Club of Fort Worth and the Nautilus Club. Mary loved books, enjoyed playing bridge with friends, and treasured time with her Bible Study Fellowship. She and her husband, David, enjoyed membership at the Eagle Mountain Country Club and the Petroleum Club of Fort Worth. Together, they subscribed to the Fort Worth Symphony and Bass Hall Performing Arts. Mary also enjoyed Casa Manana musical theater and the Fort Worth Opera. She was a member of the Kimball Art Museum, the TCU “First Nighters,” the Fort Worth Lecture Foundation, and the Rejebian Book Club. Mary is survived by her husband of 65 years, David Pace; daughter, Julie May and her husband, Bob May, of Plano; and son, David Pace and his wife, Cathy, of Dallas. She is also survived by grandchildren, Tripp and Loleena May, and great-granddaughter Nura of San Diego; Stephen and Theresa May and great-grandson, Thomas, of Copenhagen, Denmark; Emily and Jonathan Hancock and great-granddaughter, Claire, of Little Elm, TX; Stephanie Pace of New York City; David and Whitney Pace III and great-grandson, Michael; Alex and Meredith Pace, Megan Pace; and Sarah Grace and Mathew Forbes – all of Dallas. Extended family members include Ruth Bernard of Minneapolis, MN; Barbara Doster of Raleigh, NC; Sam and Anna Pace and Joe and Sally Pace of Wilmington, NC; George and Ann Pace of Harrisonburg, VA; as well as nieces, nephews, and cousins in Vienna, Austria; Maryland; North Carolina; Pennsylvania; and Texas.