Mary King Sood

Mary King Sood was born October 12, 1960, in Chicago, to loving parents Willie and Annie Mae King. Family remained of utmost importance to Mary throughout her life, so it is only fitting that she was surrounded by loved ones on December 8, 2025, when she transitioned to her heavenly home.

Affectionately known as “Nippy” to her siblings and many relatives, Mary always had a creative, entrepreneurial spirit. This was demonstrated in childhood when she and her older sister Shirley delivered newspapers in the chilly Chicago weather and when they raised money with their neighborhood friends to go on a big amusement park adventure. In adulthood, she would balance many creative pursuits—teaching manners lessons through her business Manners Plus, serving as a Spanish teacher in a private school and homeschool co-op, authoring books, serving as a public relations consultant, and much more. In recent years, she devoted herself to serving the city of Talladega, Alabama, as Director of Public Information. There, she was integral to the annual Christmas on the Square event and the opening of the city’s first inclusive, ADA-compliant park.

Mary was a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. Her lifelong passion for learning was evidenced by her decision to obtain a master’s degree in romance languages (Spanish and French) at the University of Memphis once her daughters were adults. She instilled this appreciation for education in her children from an early age, even homeschooling them for many years. As a homeschool mom, she was always thinking outside of the box—reading her daughters classic books like Les Miserables and fudging details so the stories were age-appropriate, or teaching them math from a curriculum she hunted down from Singapore. Her creativity was also seen in the wardrobe of beautiful matching dresses she sewed for them when they were little. Later in life, Mary would line the walls of her beautiful Birmingham, Alabama, home with artwork—much of which she painted herself.

Relentless optimism and tenacity were two of Mary’s defining traits, even in the face of a devastating cancer diagnosis. Mary loved seeing the world and she refused to let her deteriorating health stop her from traveling with family members. She was even able to achieve her dream of bringing her granddaughter Lennox, then 4 years old, to Italy. In Venice, they got lost in a real-life castle, ate delicious gelato, shopped in beautiful stores, and learned how Murano glass is made.

Mary’s deep faith in God was the most important part of her legacy. She is survived by daughters Anjali Bright (Dusty) and Aneesa Bone (Vernon); granddaughters Lennox Bone and Layla Bone; siblings Shirley Martin (George), Michelle Harbeck (Mark), and Michael King (Tanisha); and a host of nephews, nieces, grandnephews and grandnieces. She is preceded in death by her beloved parents Annie Mae King and Willie King, as well as brothers Billy King and Larry King.

Services are private. Please contact a member of the family for details.