Mary Jane Laborn

Mary Jane (Smith) Laborn passed away on December 4, 2024 at the age of 87. She was born January 1, 1937 at Calera, Oklahoma to Franklin and Loretta (Harper) Smith. She was a member of the Church of Christ. She was preceded in death by her parents and by sisters, Lavella Smith and Joyce Conerly and by brothers, Larry Smith, Bradley Smith and Terry Smith. She is survived by her daughter, Charrissa Jane Laborn and her son, Andre Mark Laborn, both from Mesquite, Texas. Survived additionally by grandchildren Kiah Laborn and Alyson Wiggins of Early, Texas and Hunter Anderson Dugan of Dallas, Texas. Mary Jane was also a great-grandmother to several grandchildren. She is survived by two sisters, Aletta Smith (Hal) of Amarillo, Texas and Cheryl Terry (Michael) of Mesquite, Texas, by a brother, Stanley Smith of Rush Springs, Oklahoma and brother-in-law, Charles Richard "Dick" Smith of Mesquite, Texas and by many adoring nieces and nephews.

Mary Jane was known as Mary by many and by Jane or Janie by others. She was affectionately known as PeeWee by classmates at Mead, Oklahoma Schools, a name given to her by the basketball coach, A.D. Mitchell. She was a sought after basketball player and after moving near Frederick, Oklahoma she attended her senior year and graduated in the Class of 1954 at Weaver High School where the team won the District Championship due largely to her efforts as a high scoring forward. After graduation she helped form an AAU basketball team in Dallas named "Mead's Independents," composed largely of ladies who had also played basketball in Mead, Oklahoma.

She spent most of her younger years on a farm in Mead, but as soon as she could do so, she spent summers working at F. W. Woolworth (a large five and dime store) in downtown Dallas. After graduation, Mary Jane moved permanently to Dallas and began her career with United Artists. She bought the first car anyone in the family had ever owned. It was a 1956 Buick and she packed the entire family in on many occasions for trips to places they had never been.

Several years after her children were settled in school, she enrolled at Amber University (now Amberton University) and received her BA Degree in Business Administrations.

She worked for Texaco until their permanent departure to Houston in 1965. Not willing to leave family and friends in Dallas she declined to move to Houston and made a change in jobs and began her new course in the Oil, Gas & Petroleum Industry.

In lieu of flowers or gifts, please support the animal of your choice. Mary Jane had dozens of animals during her lifetime but was particularly fond of cats and dogs.

No memorial services are planned at this time but information will be forthcoming. To be notified, please sign in to Mary Jane's New Hope Guestbook.