Mary Edna Tarpley

Mary Edna Tarpley, 94, of Amarillo, Texas, passed away on September 16, 2026.

Memorial services will be held at 2:00 P.M., Monday, September 21, 2026, in the Boxwell Brothers Ivy Chapel, with Lance Herrington officiating. Private burial will be at Fairview Cemetery in Pampa, Texas. Arrangements are by Boxwell Brothers Funeral Directors, 2800 Paramount Blvd.

Mary Edna was born in Gorman, Texas, on March 20, 1932, to Thelma (Newton) and Henry Grady Sharp. She attended and graduated from Pampa High School, where she was a cheerleader and baton twirler.

On October 14, 1950, Mary Edna married Billy Louis “Bill” Tarpley in San Antonio, Texas. She worked alongside her husband at Tarpley Music until they began their family. Together, they raised four children: Janice, Karen, Lou Ann, and David. Their family joined Paramount Baptist Church in 1968.

Family was at the heart of Mary Edna’s life. She and Bill enjoyed taking their children waterskiing and traveling together. She especially loved fishing with her family in the mountains. What began as a favorite pastime with her mother-in-law, Mammaw, became a treasured tradition she later shared with her daughters and grandchildren in Red River, New Mexico.

Mary Edna was social and loved spending time with others. She enjoyed playing bridge each week and was a member of Beta Sigma Phi in Pampa, Texas. She also loved to cross-stitch and watch Wheel of Fortune.

Mary Edna had a lifelong love of learning. She was always challenging herself and expanding her knowledge. A dictionary was never far away, and if she came across a word she didn’t know, she would look it up. That curiosity eventually grew into a love of word games, including Wordscapes.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Bill Tarpley; and her brother, Buddy Sharp.

Mary Edna is survived by her daughters, Janice McVicker, Karen Webb and husband Hal, and Lou Ann Hargis and husband Ronny; son, David Tarpley and wife Sharon; seven grandchildren, Mary, Melissa, Ben, Dustin, Emily, Bradley, and Bryan; five great-grandchildren, Caden, Kendall, Eleanor, Cole, and Kate; her sister, Henri Lou Pipes; and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.