Mary Shaw Southerland's Obituary
On Thursday, January 23, 2020, Mary Elizabeth Shaw Southerland, loving wife and mother of five children, passed away at the age of 78.
Mary was born on December 16, 1941 in Norfolk, Virginia to Hazel Blanche Norman and Robert Gere Shaw, JR. Active in her church, she also attended Atlanta Bible College where she became the first woman to take a class on hermeneutics. Someone else gave the sermon she prepared as women were not permitted to do so at the time. She went on to get her teaching certificate and Master of Education in early childhood.
Perhaps the two characteristics that describe Mary best are her dedication to public service and impeccable work ethic. During the early 1970s, she served as a captain in the Civil Air Patrol where she was recognized for her meritorious service. She also taught in elementary schools in Florida, Louisiana, and Texas for 40 years. She retired from Humble Independent School District in 2007 after 28 years of service. While doing all of this, she was also a distributor for the Houston Post.
Mary was preceded in death by her husband Max Southerland and eldest son Mickey Wood. She is survived by four children, Danielle of Gainesville, FL; David of Denver, CO; John of Denver, CO; and James of Houston, TX. She has four grandchildren, Alex, Maggie, Jack, and Ava; and two great-grandchildren, Lily and Zyra.
A funeral service will be held on Monday, February 3, 2020 at the Prairie Creek Conservation Cemetery in Gainesville, FL at 11 a.m.
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