Mary D. Bright

Mary D. Bright Mary D. Bright passed away peacefully at The Woods at Holly Tree on, November 21 with her daughter at her side. She leaves this earth with a legacy of elegance and graciousness. Mary was a woman who lived all of her 94 years to the fullest. Her life was a storybook tale waiting to be written. She is survived by her devoted daughter, Patricia Howell of Wilmington, NC, and granddaughter, Carolyn Davis Pingree of Cape Cod, Mass. Born in Michigan to Louis C. and Genevieve Miller, a prominent and distinguished family. Louis Miller was one of the most well respected architects and builders in the Detroit suburbs. Mary attended Catholic schools and was a graduate of The Convent of the Sacred Heart. Although she remained a Catholic throughout her life, her mind remained open to other teachings, such as Unity. Through the years she and daughter Patricia enjoyed enlightening conversations relating to Spiritual subjects. Mary continued her education anxious to increase her vocabulary and to explore other interests. These interests ran the gamut from volunteering in the neo-natal department at a local hospital to raising purebred dogs and showing horses. Along the way she managed to be president of the Golf League and Garden Club in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. In her late teens, Mary was stricken with TB, curbing her activities for a full year. Later, while attending a dance she met an interesting man who would prove to be her future husband, not realizing he was actually a neighbor. It was her grandmother who told her she had an instinct that ? he was the one?. So with grandma?s advice, at age 20, she was married to Sterling Howell Dockson, a man 9 years her senior and an avid sportsman who was already well known as the World Champion skeet shooter of 1943. Never one to be overshadowed, Mary was determined to be a partner in her husbands many activities. She learned to swim so she could share his interest in boating. Together they played tennis, golf and enjoyed skiing, which led to many trips through the United States and Europe. Mary was a classic beauty, which led to a short period of modeling. Her sporting and social activities, along with the fact that she was extremely photogenic, seemed to attract the press who paid great attention to her social life. In the 5th year of their marriage a daughter entered their lives. Patricia recalls the wonderful times they had every summer with other young couples at The Old Club. She was always included on the weekend trips for skiing and the five-hour drive north to a ski club called Otsego. When Patti was in her teens Mary and Sterling included their daughter in their travels to places like Georgian Bay and a private island called Killarney where they fished, boated and played games enjoying the magnificent weather. At age 40, Mary Bright, who loved horses, decided to take up riding at a local Hunt Club. Always seeking challenges and adventure, she not only wanted to ride cross-country, but decided to compete in horse shows all over the North East. She succeeded at dressage and became proficient in jumping in competition, including Madison Square Garden in New York. When her granddaughter, Carolyn, was three years old she showed an interest in horses and riding and with her grandmother?s help, was entered in her first show. This added to the pride Mary felt along with her own successes, which were evident by the many ribbons and trophies she had earned over the years. At age 65, she retired from that competition in order to pursue her latest interest, golf. She and Sterling bought a house and relocated to Bloomfield Hills where they continued to enjoy life, along with so many good friends from there and from their previous home in Gross Pointe. Sterling Howell Dockson succumbed to a heart condition in1986. Three years later, in 1989, Mary accepted a marriage proposal from Rinehart Bright. Still young at heart, they did a great deal of traveling, while taking up residence in Michigan and at a condominium on Jupiter Island in Florida where they wintered for 25 years. Rinehart Bright passed away in 2006. After Mary suffered a serious injury to her shoulder in a fall, she joined her daughter in Wilmington, NC to undergo physical therapy. She took up residence at The Woods at Holly Tree later that year. Mary accepted every challenge and remained competitive while bowling on Wii and playing bridge, where her expertise could not be denied. With her enthusiasm for life and her wonderful sense of humor, Mary had no trouble making friends at ? The Woods ?. She also enjoyed going to the theater and dining out at least once a week with her daughter and with friends. With her failing health Mary was grateful for the loving care offered by her caregivers, Martha and Lea. A funeral mass will be held on Monday, December 6th at 11:00AM in the chapel at St. Mark Catholic Church, 1011 Eastwood Road, Wilmington, NC. Memorial contributions honoring Mary D, Bright may be made to Lower Cape Fear Hospice, 1414 Physicians Drive Wilmington NC 28401 or Carolina Canine Services, PO Box 12643, Wilmington, NC 28405.