Mary Elizabeth Zies

Mary Elizabeth Zies 69, of Little Rock died Saturday, October 28, 2017 in Conway, Ark. She was born October 20, 1948 in Fort Smith, the daughter of George Leslie Zies, Sr. and Esther Alva Fowler Zies. Mary grew-up in Fort Smith and graduated from Northside High School in 1966. She received her bachelor of arts in music from Texas Wesleyan University in 1973 and her master's degree in teaching from the University of Central Arkansas. She had a life-long love of music, and taught elementary music in the Little Rock School District for over 35 years. For the last 20 years, she served as a music teacher for Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School where she led choirs and directed the orchestra with the help of a grant from VH1's Save the Music Foundation. She previously played organ for Greater Archview Baptist Church and was a member of the Art Porter Singers. In addition to music, Mary loved traveling to New York, Europe, places in the south, and having long weekends at the lake with her friends. She also spent an extensive amount of time researching and traveling to significant places with her sister to uncover their family ancestry. She is survived by her daughter, J.J. Whitney (Kaleb Barrett) of Conway, and her son, Guy M. Whitney, III of Harlem, New York; her sister, Jeanette Zies Pearson (Roy) of Farmington, two grandsons, Jack Derden and Charlie Barrett, nieces and nephews, grandnieces and nephews, and many friends. She was preceded in death by her parents, Leslie and Alva Zies and brother, George Leslie Zies Jr. A memorial service will be held at Wesley Chapel United Methodist Church on the campus of Philander Smith College at 11 a.m. on Saturday, November 11th. A reception will be held immediately following the service in the Private Dining Room of the Duvall Center. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations may be made in her memory to the Arkansas State Music Teachers Association http://www.arkansasmta.org/contact/support-asmta/ or to the Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site at 2120 W. Daisy Gatson Bates Drive, Little Rock, Ark. 72202. Online guestbook available at www.rollerfuneralhomes.com/conway.