Mary Lillian Underwood Borden

Mary Lillian Underwood Borden born April 16, 1921 in Savannah, Georgia, Lillian was the daughter of Fleming Lafayette and Cora McCann Underwood. Lillian moved to Tulsa as a young girl and graduated from the University of Tulsa with a degree in Music. After graduation, she spent time in Washington D.C., but returned to Tulsa where she met Guy Borden Jr., whom she married March 19, 1949. They remained married for 66 years until Guy's death in July, 2015. They raised three children, Guy, Clay and Merrilee and provided them a wonderful childhood. Lillian's passion in life, outside of the family, was duplicate bridge. She played this competitive form of bridge for over 50 years accumulating nearly 2000 master points and rated the life-master status. She frequently played in Regional and National tournaments, often taking top honors. She continued to play up to her death in on-line games with partners from around the world. Though always nurturing and giving, she displayed a fierce competiveness when playing bridge and had little tolerance for partner errors. Pursuing music, she taught piano lessons from home for years in Kansas City and Houston, Texas Chided by Guy for charging "less than the high school kid mowing the yard" she loved it and launched many children into a world of music. Lillian was adept at managing the household when Guy was on his frequent business trips. She always managed to help out the children and grandchildren with a little extra cash. Though her body gave out after 94 years, her mind remained sharp. Lillian is survived by her three children, six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Services will be held on Saturday, January 23, 2016, at 11 a.m. at Stanleys Memorial Chapel in Tulsa. Burial will be at the Memorial Park Cemetery in Tulsa.