Mary Cole Obituary
We are sad to announce that on February 25, 2018, at the age of 99, Mary Cole (Cary, North Carolina), born in Lenoir, North Carolina passed away. Family and friends are welcome to leave their condolences on this memorial page and share them with the family.
She was predeceased by: her parents, Fredrick Marcus Deal and Mamie Lindsay Deal; her husband Jim Cole; and her grandson Jim Beall. She is survived by: her children, Brenda Cole Beall of Lenoir, Bill Cole of Cary, NC and Mark Cole of Charlotte, NC; and her grandchildren, Anne-Lindsay Beall, Stewart Beall, Margaret Beall Miller, Allison Cole Strother and Ashley Cole Brandow.
She starred on her high school debate and basketball teams, both early indicators that she would always argue for what was right and, a fierce competitor even at 5'3", never be intimidated by larger opposition. Decades before Title IX and until her dying day, she was always of the firm opinion that "the girls should have been allowed to play full-court basketball just like the boys." Growing up on her family's farm cemented the principles of hard work and self-reliance that characterized her life.
Upon graduating from high school, Mary sought a bank loan to further her education. She met with J. Harper Beall (then bank president), who was so impressed by this determined young woman, that he granted her the loan for a business course at Lenoir-Rhyne University -- no mean feat during the Great Depression, when bank loans were almost impossible to come by and less than 5% of women had a college degree.
Her first job was as secretary for the Caldwell County Board of Education, and she often remarked with some pride that it took two people to replace her when she left to start her family. Later in her career, Mary went to work in the Caldwell County Tax office, working her way up to County Tax Collector in the mid-70s. Until she moved to Cary, NC in 2013, she was an active member of the First United Methodist Church in Lenoir, NC, where she taught Sunday school for many years.
In addition to nurturing her spirit at FUMC and serving her community in many ways, Mary strengthened her body with daily exercise. She and her husband of more than 50 years, Jim, were physically active throughout their lives, taking long walks together every day and even running together long before jogging was a common practice … a sight that once prompted a Lenoir Police Officer to stop and ask Mary: "Is that man chasing you?" She continued to exercise after Jim's death, and was a fixture in aerobics classes at the Lenoir Senior Center.
Mary ("Mama Cole") was an inspiration not just to the children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren who loved her, but to all who were privileged to know her. She has no more wisdom or stories to share, and we will never hear her warm laugh again, but her family rejoices in her memory and the knowledge that she is waiting for us with those she loved, and Him she loved best.
The family will receive visitors at Cedar Rock Country Club in Lenoir on Thursday, March 1, from 6:30 -8:30 p.m. The funeral will be held at First Methodist Church in Lenoir on Friday, March 2 at 11 a.m., conducted by Rev. Linda M. Kelly and Rev. Marietta T. Smith with burial to follow at Blue Ridge Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, please send memorials to the First United Methodist Church Building Fund, 309 Church Street, Lenoir, NC 28645.
