Mary Lee Holiday was a kid at heart, family members said Sunday. The 62-year-old played video games and rode her bike to work each day.
She died after an accidental cooking-related fire late Saturday in her one-bedroom unit at the Meridian Apartments on Redmond Drive in College Station, authorities said.
"She had a love for kids, even though she didn't have any herself," said Gladis Griffin, 46, the youngest of 11 siblings. Holiday was the oldest. "My sister worked hard. Every day, riding that bicycle, back and forth. She was getting ready to retire."
Johnnie Johnson, 48, of Austin remembers playing with his sister growing up in Madisonville. They grew apart, as often happens, but they had a special bond, a somber Johnson said, standing beside his sister's ash-caked kitchen Sunday.
"I'm going to miss everything about her, her voice on the phone, making jokes, making each other laugh," he said. "I love her very much."
Holiday lived in Madisonville much of her life, but about eight years ago, after her husband lost a fight to lung cancer, she moved to College Station to start fresh, away from the memories, Johnson said.
Extreme heat, cold or rain, the woman who never had a driver's license would pedal to work each day to the La Quinta Inn on Texas Avenue, where she would cook and clean. On her down time, she loved to watch horror and vampire movies, family said.
"She could never say no to anyone," said sister-in-law Robbie Johnson. "If you were hungry, she'd feed you. If she didn't have the food, she'd go to the store and buy it.
"We're all still in shock."
Authorities said fire crews responded just before 11 p.m. Saturday to a report from the tenant who lived below Holiday that smoke could be smelled coming from the unit above.
When College Station firefighters burst into the apartment, they found Holiday in the living room. She was not breathing but had a weak pulse, officials said. She was taken to College Station Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead, officials said.
The blaze apparently self-extinguished before firefighters arrived, said Bart Humphreys, a spokesman for the College Station Fire Department. Johnnie Johnson said he was told his sister may have fallen asleep while something was cooking on the stove, but he’s not sure. Humphreys said it appears Holiday died of smoke inhalation.
The unit had a smoke detector, but investigators believe the battery was dead, Humphreys said. He recommends switching batteries at least once a year, dusting off cobwebs, and replacing the device after its lifespan is complete, usually about eight to 10 years. Some new smoke detectors come with a lithium battery that lasts 10 years, Humphreys said.
"We know smoke detectors save lives, but only if they’re functioning," he said.
Four Texas A&M students from neighboring units have been temporarily displaced and are being assisted by the fire department and the Texas A&M Critical Incident Response Team, Humphreys said.
Funeral arrangements are pending.
The family gathered at the apartment, amid the pungent smell of charred kitchen materials, to support one another. Late Sunday, Johnnie Johnson drove back to Austin to make sure he gets his kids to school in the morning.
"After that, we'll all get together, and take it from there," he said.
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