Biography: Mary Clare Dowell Brierley, at 81 years old, was finally freed from her struggle with Alzheimer’s, on June 29, 2020, in Little Rock, Arkansas.   Mary was also born in June, in 1939, to the late Walter Anthony “Junie” Dowell, Jr. and Clare Phillips Dowell in Jonesboro, Arkansas, although she lived and grew up in Walnut Ridge.  Her great sense of humor, big dimpled smile, and overall zest for life got her places early on, being nominated Homecoming Queen of Walnut Ridge High her senior year.   
 
Mary went on to attend college at Mary Baldwin for a year then transferred home, to the University of Arkansas, where she graduated with a BA in Education.  But perhaps even more meaningful than her degree was being a Chi-O and the many life-long friends that organization has fostered. 
 
Mary started her professional career as a teacher.  She taught in private schools in St. Louis and New York City before getting married to Adie Dietz and starting her own family.  After Mary divorced, she moved back to Arkansas, not to her home town but to the big city of Little Rock where her many friends lived.  There she migrated from teacher to sales rep and Mary hit her stride, although she did hit one major stumbling block. 
 
Almost everyone knew that Mary was a recovered alcoholic for 32 years.  She loved “The Program,” going to meetings and her regular lunches at Ciao’s.  Because of the dramatic improvement Mary had as a result of being sober and working the program, she enjoyed sharing her experience and was an enthusiastic, active sponsor of others who struggled with addiction.  
 
Her volunteer and philanthropic work included serving several years on the Board of Wolfe Street Foundation and campaigning for Bill Clinton’s Governor and Presidential runs.
 
Mary Clare, as she preferred to be called, was a charismatic story teller with a great sense of timing and she would raise one eyebrow for dramatic emphasis.  Of the many Mary stories, one that is likely most-often-told involved a convertible car, a monkey purchase, and getting kissed on “these very lips” by the King of Rock-n-Roll, Elvis Presley.
 
In February of 2003 Mary married the love of her life: Bill!  They truly enjoyed the golden years together, spending many glorious evenings with friends and family entertaining in the home they decorated together (yes, also with Garry Mertins), going to the Symphony, The Rep, and openings and lectures at The Arkansas Arts Center.  But one of their greatest pleasures as a couple was travel.  Bill and Mary took many fabulous trips to Europe, Asia, Africa and South America.  Mary loved to absorb the culture through dining, art and engaging with locals, often making new friends along the way, typically while shopping for her grandchildren.
 
Mary is survived by: her husband, William “Bill” Brierley, her standard poodle, Stella, her two children, Clare Phillips Dietz and Theodore Kurt “Ted” Dietz and his spouse, Diane Dietz, her two stepchildren, Dr. Penny Brierley-Bowers and spouse Keith Bowers, and Alice Brierley and spouse Freddy Johnson; her seven grandchildren, Emelia Clare, Eleanor James, Lily Dowell and Lucy Byers Burks, Kori Wallace and Perri Brierley-Bowers, and William Oliver Johnson; her two siblings, Walter Anthony ”Tony” Dowell, III and his spouse Annette Dowell, and Delia Dowell “Dee” Buffington and her late spouse, Tom Buffington; her two nieces Delia Robinson Banister and Charlotte Swan Dowell and her nephew Walter Dowell “Dow” Wright and his spouse Jennifer Wright.
 
In lieu of flowers we kindly request donations to Wolfe Street Foundation or Arkansas Arts Center.