Born on January 15, 1924 in Iredell County, she was the daughter of the late Brittain Haywood Kates and Mary Mayfield Bundy. In addition to her parents she was preceded in death by her beloved husband, John Avery Wood Sr.; brother, Lester Haywood Kates, and sister, Dorothy Kates Hendren.
Mary was the valedictorian of her class of 1941 from Troutman High School. She was a long-time member of Grace Baptist Church in Statesville before joining First Baptist Church in Monroe. She will be dearly missed by all who knew her.
Those left to cherish her memory include her daughter, Virginia Wood Carter of Monroe; son, John Avery (Mitchell) Wood Jr. of Durham; sister, Ethel Kates (Jay) Wilhelm of Statesville; grandchildren, Amy (Andrew) Gravely of Indian Trail and Brittain (Anna) Wood of Morrisville; great-grandchildren, Jacob Gravely and Matthew Gravely of Indian Trail.
The family will receive friends at Grace Baptist Church from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Friday, August 16, 2019. The funeral service will begin at 2:00 p.m. with Rev. Gary West officiating. Interment will immediately follow the service at Iredell Memorial Gardens.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Grace Baptist Church, 719 Club Drive, Statesville, NC 28677.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.bunchjohnsonfuneralhome.com. Bunch-Johnson Funeral Home is entrusted with the arrangements for Mary Wood.
