Marie Henley Duffee

Born in Birmingham on May 3, 1929, Marie was the daughter of Eugene Duvergne Henley and Frances Woltersdorf Henley. She was married to Daniel Jackson “Jack” Duffee Jr. of Birmingham for fifty-five years until his death in 2008. She is survived by their children; Daniel Jackson Duffee III, Marie Henley Duffee Cole (P. Michael Cole), David Henley Duffee (Carla), Lewis Duvergne Duffee and grandchildren; Elizabeth Lewis Cain, Stephen Lamar Cain Jr., Kathryn Marie Duffee, Mary Conner Duffee, Catherine Hamilton Duffee, David Henley Duffee Jr. and Caroline Marie Duffee and her brother; Edmund Darby Henley. Marie and Jack were active members of Briarwood Presbyterian Church and long-time members of Frank Barker’s bible study class.

Marie was a graduate of Phillips High School, Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri and the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. She was a member of the Birmingham Debutante Club of 1952, presented at the Ball of Roses and the Redstone Club Ball.

Marie enjoyed many patriotic and genealogical societies and served over the years as State Regent of the Magna Charta Dames, Second Vice-Regent of the Alabama Society of the Daughter’s of the American Revolution, Chairman of the Alabama State Conference for the DAR, President of the Officer’s Club, President of the Col. George Reed Chapter of the Daughters of the Colonial Wars in Alabama, President of William L. Yancy Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy, member of the Real Grand-Daughter’s Club, Alabama UDC, Board of Trustees of the Kate Duncan Smith DAR School in Grant, Alabama and Chairman of the Lane Chapel addition committee. A long time member of the Officer’s Club of the Alabama Society of the DAR, she served the Princess Sehoy Chapter as its Regent and also served as Senior President of the Children of the American Revolution’s Jane Bland Society. She was also a member of the DAR National Vice Chairman’s Club in Washington D.C., the Dames of the Court of Honor, the Huguenot Society of Alabama, the Huguenot Society of South Carolina, the Huguenot Society of the Founders of Manakin in the Colony of Virginia, the Most Noble Order of the Garter, American of Royal Descent, Colonial order of the Crown, the National Society of the Colonial Dames of the XVII (Seventeenth Century) Edward Waters Chapter, the Susanna Pope Chapter in Tuscaloosa of the Colonial Dames XVII Century, the Century Order of the Crown of Charlemagne’s in the USA, Life Member of the Jamestown Society, and the Order of First Families of Virginia where she served as a Counselor for six years on the Freedom’s Foundation at Valley Forge.

Marie was a charter member of Sherwood Forest Garden Club, and organizing and charter member of the Service Guild of Birmingham, Inc. and charter member of the Mtn. Brook Christian Women’s Club and President of the Antiquarian Society of Birmingham, Inc. Marie was a member of the Women’s Committee of the Alabama Symphony, the Arlington Historical Association, Silhouettes, Dames Club, Harlequins Dance Club and Vanities.

Most of all, Marie was a lovely southern Christian lady. She was a devoted mother to her children and a loving wife to her husband of 55 years. She loved the Lord and her family and friends, and will be deeply missed by all.

Visitation will be on Wednesday, September 1, 2010, 5 until 7 at Ridout's Valley Chapel in Homewood. Funeral service will be on Thursday, September 2, 2010, noon at Briarwood Presbyterian Church followed by a burial in Elmwood Cemetery. Arrangements under the direction of Ridout's Valley Chapel, Homewood, AL.