Mary Louise McManus

Mary Lou was born on May 8, 1934, in Charleston, SC to John Benjamin Cottingham and Margaret Best Cottingham. She was predeceased in death by her parents, her husband, Ronald Patrick McManus, Sr. and her brothers John Benjamin and David Ellis Cottingham.

Mary Lou grew up in Charleston and moved full-time to Sullivan’s Island in her teens. She met her future husband Ronnie when they both attended Camp St. Mary's. She was a true island girl who was at home crabbing, swimming, and relaxing on the beach with friends and family throughout her life. She loved Sullivan's Island and went to Stella Maris. She regaled us with stories growing up on the island during WW2 where she and her brother were taught to swim by soldiers stationed there who also helped them carry brimming buckets of crabs from Breach Inlet to their home at Station 28 1/2. She treasured bringing her family back to Sullivan's Island every summer and loved having friends and family visit at the beach house. She was even crowned Miss Sullivan's Island in 1952.

After graduating from Bishop England High School, Mary Lou went on to St Francis Xavier School of Nursing where she became a Registered Nurse. Mary Lou married her childhood sweetheart Ronnie in 1956 at Stella Maris Church. They traveled extensively with Ronnie's job living in South Carolina, New York, North Carolina, Texas, Massachusetts, and Tennessee. Mary Lou settled in Atlanta, Georgia for the last 34 years.

While raising 6 children she found time for her lifelong passion: advocacy for maternal child health. She was an early leader in natural childbirth working extensively with new parents and teen moms. A woman of deep faith- she devoted much of her life to bringing God’s light and love into the world through her actions and relationships with people. Always active in her parish community, Mary Lou was the only female member of the first Parish Council and was involved in the early Catholic Family Movement. She was a longtime member of Holy Cross Church in Atlanta, Georgia.

She joyfully devoted herself to her family embracing her roles as wife, mother, grandmother, aunt, sister and daughter. She used her nursing skills to care for many friends and family through illness and death. She had an uncanny ability to see God’s perfect creation in every human being and to treat people with dignity, respect and love. Her ability to see the good in everyone was infectious and her compassion was limitless. She had the incredible gift of making people feel special.

Mary Lou and Ronnie were a loving team raising their children even while Ronnie battled cancer at the end stages of his short life. With Ronnie’s early passing, Mary Lou not only embraced being there for her children but went on to make caring for patients living and dying with cancer her passion, working in the hospital as an oncology nurse and as a hospice nurse caring for patients and their families at the end of their life. She firmly believed in the transformative power of families caring for their loved ones as they went through the process of dying. She was a constant support for so many.

Mary Lou moved permanently to Atlanta in 1989 where she worked briefly for American Cancer Society and then ended her nursing career where she started it- maternal child health. She worked as a postpartum nurse - an appropriate final chapter to her nursing career - retiring early to spend more time with her growing family and grandchildren.

Mary Lou adored all her 14 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren and was very much a part of their lives. She was an avid supporter of and attended many of their games, awards and events in and out of town. She also was an avid sports fan and loved watching the Braves, Notre Dame football and women’s basketball.

Mary Lou always loved flowers but became a passionate gardener when she moved to Atlanta, becoming a Master Gardener and a docent at Atlanta Botanical Gardens. Anyone who visited her home was given a garden tour highlighting blooms and often quizzing them about the plants. She was famous for her knock knock jokes as an auctioneer at her garden club.

Mary Lou was an incredible cook and perhaps the original foodie who loved cooking for others. We can see her standing at the stove with everyone helping and chatting both in Atlanta and during summer family vacations on Sullivan’s Island. Whenever asked about her cooking success she would reply that the secret was "TLC" (tender loving care). TLC seemed to underlie all her interactions. She treated people with such good humor and love; as many have said 'she treated me as if I were her own”. She loved entertaining, playing games and was incredibly attuned to including and inviting people who needed a home cooked meal or the love of family. Her regular injunction to guests was 'come early and stay late!"

With the best smile, beautiful eyes, and a full heart, Mary Lou always brightened everyone’s day. She had dear friends wherever she lived that she stayed in touch with as long as she could. She was a pillar of strength with indomitable spirit, losing her parents, both her in-laws, her husband and dear sister-in-law Margaret Cronin all in the span of 5 years, with 6 teenagers at home and in college. She was not just charming; she was loving and generous and supportive. Just hearing her beautiful loving voice would lift anyone’s day.

Mary Lou’s final years were spent at Brighton Gardens in Dunwoody where she received loving care.

Mary Lou often told her children that she felt her biggest success as a parent was having children that love and cherish each other.

Mary Lou is survived by her beloved sister Diane Shiver (Russell), daughters Elaine Rutherford ( Kyle), Kathleen de Groot (Steven), Tricia Smith ( Dale), Mary Beth Hatheway (Geoff), sons Patrick, and Michael ( Kathy), 14 grandchildren, Patricia Misner (Stephen), Sarah de Groot, Joseph de Groot (Jennifer), Mary Kathleen Kane (Matthew), Ryan Smith (Chloe), Maggie Colbert (Andrew), Colby Smith (Addie), Mike McManus (Sara), Sean, Megan, and Kacie McManus, Jack, Kellen, and Daniel Hatheway and 10 great grandchildren.

A Memorial Mass will be held at All Saints Catholic Church in Dunwoody on Tuesday, October 29 at 11:00 am. Visitation and Rosary at H.M.Patterson & Son -Oglethorpe Hill Chapel, Atlanta on Monday, October 28 from 6-8:00 pm.

In lieu of flowers donations may be made to Catholic Charities Atlanta (https://catholiccharitiesatlanta.org/donate/) 2401 Lake Park Drive SE, Smyrna, GA 30080 , S2401 La