Mary Ann McWhorter of Lecanto, Florida, surrounded by her loved ones, passed away from a battle with congestive heart failure on 5 November, 2018 at 8:20 PM at Citrus Memorial Hospital in Inverness, Florida.
She is survived by her son, Chester Lee McWhorter, Jr. (Patricia) of Martinsburg, WV; daughter, Jo Len McWhorter (Dana McGuire) of Leesburg, Fl; grandsons Lee Danial (Athena), and Brad David (Breana) and three beloved great-grandchildren.
Mary Ann was preceded in death by her devoted and loving husband, Chester Lee McWhorter Sr. originally from Barboursville, WV; her baby boy David Lee; father Harvey Leonard Wills; and mother Virgie Armentia (Collins) Wills both of Roanoke, Virginia.
Mary Ann graduated from Jefferson High School in Roanoke, VA, where she learned business and organizational skills that she applied to the care and maintenance of her home, children, and later, her parents. An only child, Mary Ann was part of a large family of aunts, uncles, and cousins in and around the Roanoke area. She frequently returned to Roanoke to help various family members who lived in town, out in the country, or in nursing homes.
Mary Ann was dedicated to her family and was a partner with her Air Force/U.S. government employed husband caring for their home and her children through several transitions and domestic moves between a number of states including California, New Mexico, Florida, Alabama, North Carolina, Maryland, and West Virginia. Organizing household moves, working with differing school systems, finding new doctors, and maintaining the harmony and sanity of the family were frequent challenges Mary Ann successfully strove to conquer.
Mary Ann worked outside the home on occasion. As a young girl she worked at the 5 and Dime soda fountain in Roanoke. She later worked at the Kenrose plant also in Roanoke. In the 1980s she worked in Bodine’s restaurant in Hedgesville, WV.
As a young girl, Mary Ann enjoyed being a member of the Girl Scouts and in the 1980s she was heavily involved with the Shawnee Girl Scout Council in Martinsburg, WV and with her daughter’s girl scout troops in Hedgesville, WV. She handled or assisted with budgeting, planning, and conducting various activities to include cookie sales, camping trips, and charity/volunteer events. She exhibited leadership skills which provided a positive impact on the lives of young scout members.
Mary Ann was also an active member of the Order of the Eastern Star in the Hedgesville, WV chapter. Through these organizations she donated time and effort to charitable causes. Besides supporting charities and other groups, Mary Ann’s hobbies included bowling, reading novels, building puzzles, maintaining scrapbooks and photo albums, and playing card games with friends and family. She was a member of the Tuesday Morning Housewives bowling league in Huntsville, Alabama in the 1970s where her team occasionally won a trophy, and she was a member of an early bird bowling league at Pikeside bowl in Martinsburg, WV in the 1980s. Mary Ann enjoyed Sunday pokeno games and the friends she made at the Italian Club in Inverness during her 20+ years living in Florida.
A small service for the immediate family will be held on 9 November 2018 and Mary Ann will be buried in the National Cemetery in Bushnell, Florida. Funeral arrangements will be handled by Chas E. Davis Funeral Home of Inverness. In lieu of flowers please send donations in Mary Ann’s name to one of her favorite charities, The Guiding Eyes for the Blind, 611 Granite Springs Road, Yorktown Heights, NY, 10598, 914-245-4024, www.guidingeyes.org.
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