Mary Ann (Burns) Fleischer
January 27, 1940
December 19, 2025
Mary Ann (Burns) Fleischer, of Temple and formerly of Salado, passed away Friday, December 19, 2025 in a Temple care facility. She was 85.
She was born January 27, 1940 in Atlanta, Georgia, the oldest daughter of Paul Bruner Burns and Mary (Cameron) Burns. She was a sixth-generation Georgian.
Mary Ann graduated from Avondale High School in Dekalb County, Georgia.
She met the love of her life Kenneth Robert Ernest Fleischer while both attended Presbyterian College in South Carolina. They married October 4, 1958 at Columbia Presbyterian Church in Decatur, Georgia.
They lived an Army life and raised three children: Ken Fleischer, Tim Fleischer and Tena Simmons.
Their Army travels took them to stations in Virginia, where both Ken and Tena were born; Athens, Georgia where her husband taught ROTC at the University of Georgia and where her youngest son Tim was born; Fort Bliss and finally Fort Hood, where they settled in Copperas Cove to raise their brood. Ken also served two tours in Viet Nam, during which Mary Ann watched the news every day about the loss of Americans in that faraway place.
When they landed in Cove, they dug deep roots. They were committed members of the Presbyterian Church in Cove. Mary Ann volunteered as a Cub Scout mom, as well as teaching Sunday school.
As her children grew and left home, she found her cause in serving abused women and volunteered at women’s homes in the central Texas area. Later, she volunteered with the Court Appointed Special Advocates in Bell County.
She sold Merle Norman cosmetics, real estate and then managed Artworks, an advertising firm in Copperas Cove.
When her husband died on June 16, 1985, Mary Ann redefined herself. She became a business owner, first as the owner of a flower shop in Copperas Cove and then in 1988 as the publisher of Salado Village Voice, a venture she entered into with her son and daughter-in-law Tim and Marilyn Fleischer.
She was a long time “Friend of Bill.” She was sober for more than 35 years and sponsored many through their struggles.
Mary Ann took to traveling with her companion Jack. She even lived under a bridge when they lived in an RV park on the Guadalupe River in New Braunfels.
She was a constant student, attending college at Presbyterian College, Central Texas College and St. Mary’s University in San Antonio. She was a voracious reader, reading a book a day and even taught herself to paint.
She was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis and was told that she had five to seven years to live. She lived a decade beyond that diagnosis.
It finally took her on December 19, 2025.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband and two sisters, Tena Burns Cooley and Susan Burns Jones.
She is survived by her children Ken Fleischer (Cathy Ferrara), Tena Simmons and Tim Fleischer (Marilyn); her grandchildren Christian Bartholomew, Mason Simmons (Stephanie), Haley Simmons, Royce Wiggin, Jenny Potter (Joey), Paul Cornelius, Natalie and Jenny McMurray; great grandchildren Sam Simmons, Nate Potter, Kace Potter, Brynn Potter, Natalie Ewell, Violet Ewell, Ian Ewell, Joshua Knight, Baron Baggett, JP Greene and Ian Greene and great-great granddaughter Ivy Ewell.
Funeral service will be 10 a.m. January 10 2026 at Broecker Funeral with visitation at 9 a.m. Burial will follow at Copperas Cove Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials donations may be made to Families In Crisis, Inc., P.O. Box 25 Killeen, TX 76540 or to a library.