Mary C. Coonley

Mary C. Coonley, age 91, of Stuarts Draft, passed away peacefully on September 17, 2022, surrounded by family. Mary was born November 4, 1930 in Waupun, Wisconsin to the late Edgar and Mildred Mulvey Monroe. After high school, she went to work for Montgomery Ward, where she met her husband of 70 years, Wayne Coonley, who preceded her in death. They raised six children. Mary loved her family. She worked hard as a full time homemaker, often moving every couple of years due to her husband’s job. She loved gardening and maintained large vegetable gardens in order to can food for the winter. She was a skilled seamstress and enjoyed arts and crafts. She loved baking and was known for constantly pulling goodies out of nowhere. She supported her husband in raising Appaloosas and Quarter Horses and especially enjoyed attending horse shows, as well as an occasional horse race. As her children grew up and moved away, she began caring for others. She worked at Greendale Home for the Aged in Abingdon, Virginia prior to the move to Stuarts Draft. At age 60 she went to work at Avanti (now Choice Health) Nursing facility where she worked for 20 years. In her spare time, Mary enjoyed bowling, mini golf and camping on land near Smith Mountain Lake. She enjoyed nightly games of Crazy Eights with anyone visiting. One could often find her at swim meets, baseball/softball or basketball games and musical concerts for her kids, grandkids or great grandkids. She looked forward to March Madness and would fill out a bracket in anticipation. She especially enjoyed watching the Little League World Series each year. She loved keeping track of statistics, which carried over into her journaling of everyday life. She loved spending time with her family and getting together was a priority for her. Mary was preceded in death by two brothers and two sisters. She is survived by one sister, six children, 17 grandchildren and 14 great grandchildren. The family wishes to extend their sincere thanks to the staff at Choice Health of Waynesboro. Arrangements have been entrusted to the Stuarts Draft Chapel of Reynolds Hamrick Funeral Homes. Relatives and friends may share condolences and memories online with the family by visiting www.reynoldshamrickfuneralhomes.com