Mary Pauline Mastran

Mary Pauline Mastran died peacefully at Spring Hill Assisted Living Center near Fort Belvoir, Virginia on January 13, 2015 at the age of 98. She was born on January 10, 1917 in Sherwood, Tennessee to John Black and Denny Mae Temple, and was the eldest of 7 children. She joined a religious order as a young girl, and was eventually sent to Peekskill, New York to become a novitiate and then a nun.

Anna, the sister of Joseph L. Mastran, a cadet at West Point, introduced Mary to her brother over Christmas vacation. After a long courtship, they were married after graduation under swords at the Cadet Chapel on June 12,1940. They remained married until Joseph’s death in May 2003. Joseph ultimately reached the rank of full Colonel in the US Army.

Together, they had three children: David, Joseph Jr., and Christine. She also had three grandchildren, David B, Susannah, and Jeremy, and six great grandchildren, Andrew, Gabriel, Joey, Timothy, Mandy, and Olivia. She is also survived by her younger brother Gene.

Mary's interests were varied. She was a "Gray Lady" at the local hospital and Director of the Post Nursery at Ft. Richardson, Alaska. She was a master and student of oil painting and an avid reader of fiction. She wrote poetry and was Secretary of the Wilton Woods Garden Club. She was a very spiritual person.

Mary will be buried next to the only man she ever loved at Arlington National Cemetery on February 10th. Services will be held at Demaine Funeral Home in Alexandria at 11:00 AM.