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SENATE RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas honors and |
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commemorates the life of Mary C. Nelson, who died January 8, |
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2023, at the age of 70; and |
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WHEREAS, Mary Nelson was a treasured Texan and a beloved |
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citizen of Austin who led a life of purpose through her tireless |
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dedication to her endeavors, her family, and her community; and |
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WHEREAS, Mary was born on January 22, 1952, in Houston; the |
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eldest child of a United States Air Force officer, Mary lived in |
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locations throughout the United States and England before her |
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family moved to Austin in 1970; she attended The University of |
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Texas while working as a cinema projectionist at local movie |
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theaters, and she eventually became the first female union master |
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projectionist in the country; and |
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WHEREAS, Intelligent and driven, Mary served on countless |
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movie and commercial sets throughout her career and skillfully |
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performed a variety of roles including electrician, key grip, key |
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rigging grip, and best boy; she was a lifelong advocate of unions |
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and a champion of labor rights, and she was an active member of |
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the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving |
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Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts union; she served |
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as business agent of the union's Local 205, and she also served as |
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the business agent for the Film and Movie Mechanics Local 484; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, A trailblazer in many regards, Mary found success |
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in a male-dominated industry, and her strength, expertise, and |
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leadership broke barriers for women in entertainment production; |
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in the 1970s, she trained as a power lifter and competed against |
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men, often winning her competitions at a time when few or no women |
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competed; she served as the first female director of production |
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at the Paramount and Stateside Theaters in Austin, and she served |
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for several years as the director of production for the Moontower |
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Comedy Festival; and |
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WHEREAS, Mary and her beloved husband, Sandy Gilzow, |
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started their own company, Shur-Rig, in 2012 to provide |
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high-quality rigging for art and entertainment installations |
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across the state; for the past decade, their passion for |
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production and keen attention to detail has helped great works of |
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art come to life, and Mary found it especially rewarding to work |
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to help low-income and community theaters succeed in their |
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productions; and |
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WHEREAS, Mary was a loving wife, mother, and sister and a |
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trusted mentor and friend to many; her generous and courageous |
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spirit and her loving and joyful example were a source of |
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inspiration in the lives of others, and she leaves behind |
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memories that will long be cherished by her family and friends |
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and by all who were privileged to share in her life; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 88th |
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Legislature, hereby extend sincere condolences to the bereaved |
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family of Mary C. Nelson; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for |
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her family as an expression of deepest sympathy from the Texas |
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Senate and that when the Senate adjourns this day, it do so in |
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memory of Mary C. Nelson. |