of Little Rock, AR

December 25, 1934 - April 7, 2025

From the time she was very young, Mary had the heart of a caregiver. Her character of caring for others was unwavering, and she built her life and career to serve and care for others. Mary was the third child of eleven children born to Lee L and Ruth Davis Creech.

Having grown up in towns around Rogers, Arkansas, she graduated from Rogers High School in 1952. As a young girl in Rogers, Mary's caregiving brought her to the home of Sara and John Leflar as their babysitter. The Leflar family accepted Mary as part of their family, and parents Eli and Myr Delle Leflar generously sent Mary to nursing school in Little Rock. Mary always valued this generosity and continued the relationship with her second family. Mary graduated from St. Vincent Infirmary School of Nursing in 1955. She then began her career as a Registered Nurse at St. Vincent Infirmary in Little Rock.

Mary married Earl Hillard in 1956, and they were blessed with two children. Earl served in the United States Air Force and an early assignment took the family to Izmir, Turkey where Mary took an interest in Turkish cooking and culture. Earl's other assignments led Mary to practice nursing in Pennsylvania; Blytheville, Arkansas; Omaha, Nebraska; Springfield, Virginia; and back to St. Vincent Infirmary in Little Rock. Mary and Earl where avid square dancers and always found a new club wherever their travels took them. Mary and Earl divorced after 18 years.

Mary continued nursing in Little Rock for several years and then moved to Lafayette, Louisiana where she worked at Our Lady of Lourdes Regional Medical Center until she retired from nursing.

Mary then moved to Elkins, Arkansas to be closer to her many family members living in Northwest Arkansas. In retirement Mary enjoyed travel, babysitting, reading, jigsaw puzzles and crossword puzzles. Mary delighted in her collection of elephants, trunk up for good luck, which grew from receiving a gift of her first elephant from overseas friends, to over 340 elephants of varies sizes and materials.

Mary's love of nursing never left her. When Mary moved into assisted living she always had a watchful eye on the other residents and alerted staff when a resident was in need. And true to her nature, when she became elderly and moved into a long term care home she watched over ''her patients.'' Mary's last years took her to The Greenhouse Cottages of Poplar Grove, in Little Rock, where her caregivers Phillip, Sha, Mark, Shanice, and others, became part of Mary's family.

Mary was preceded in death by both of her parents and by siblings Erma Nelson, Melvin Creech, David Creech, Donal Creech, Larry Creech, and Linda Dingledine.

Mary is survived by her son Duke Hillard and his wife Faustine, and daughter, Cheryl Hillard Markham and her husband Jay. She is also survived by sisters Edna McCall, Katherine Mindoro, Judy Jaques, and Sandra Boyd.

A graveside memorial service and interment of ashes will be held Saturday, June 21 at 10:00 am at the Rogers Cemetery in Rogers, Arkansas. In lieu of flowers contributions to Alzheimer's Arkansas or your charity of choice are requested.

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