Surrounded by loved ones, Mary Ann Byerly, loving wife and mother or four, peacefully passed away in Pensacola on March 30, 2020. She was 89.
Born in Luray, Virginia, on September 13, 1930, to Marvin James "Peachy" and Anne Hudson Menefee, Mary Ann was the third of five children.
In 1951, she received a BA and a nursing degree from Duke University. She was wed to Baxter H. Byerly, MD (ophthalmologist) of North Carolina on June 12, 1954. They settled in Danville, VA, from 1958 – 1973 and raised four children, Baxter, Jr., Wendy, Jan and Drew. In 1973, they moved to Tallahassee, FL, where they remained through 2014.
Mary was an accomplished pianist and lover of music. She sang in her high school and college glee clubs and the Chapel Choir at Duke, where she also was the accompanist of the Duke Divinity Choir and the Nurses' Choir. She sang with many groups in Tallahassee, most prominently the Tallahassee Community Chorus with which she once performed at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center. She was a volunteer on the cardiac floor at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital for 30 years, a member of the Capital Medical Society Alliance and several bridge clubs. She and her husband were founding members of St. Peter's Anglican Church. She enjoyed the beach and sports but her biggest love was her family to whom she was tirelessly devoted. She was known for her sharp mind and unfailing care for those she knew, including numerous pets through the years. She was one of a kind.
Mary Ann is preceded in death by her parents; older brother Jimmy; older sister, Janet (Freeman) and her husband, Baxter.
She is survived by her siblings, Emily Johnston of Richmond, VA and Col. William P. Menefee of Luray, VA; her children, Baxter Byerly (Tasha) of Brooksville, FL, Wendy Mathews (Ralph) of Andalusia, AL, Janet Simpson (Joseph R. Jr.) of Pensacola, FL and Andrew Byerly of Los Angeles, CA; her grandchildren, Jennifer and David Mathews, as well as several cousins, nieces and nephews.
A service will be held in Luray, VA later this year.
In lieu of flowers, please send donations to: ASPCA.org/ways-to-give