Mary Grace Covington

Born on August 6, 1925, Mary Grace and her family lived in Rockingham, NC. During her childhood, they moved to Charlotte, NC where Mary Grace lived for the balance of her life. She graduated from Harding High School and quickly began her career at American Trust Company as a bookkeeper. She worked at the bank through its many transitions, rising to become the Executive Assistant to North Carolina National Bank Chairman and CEO Thomas Storrs and then Executive Assistant in the Corporate Office of Chairman and CEO Hugh McColl of then NationsBank. She was loved and admired by all her knew her and was even called the “First Lady” at the bank. When she retired in 1990 after 40+ years of service, NationsBank realized they could not do without her, and soon asked her to return to the bank, which she did for several more years.

Mary Grace was a gentle, kind, and purposeful woman who loved her friends, family, and community dearly. She was a longtime volunteer at Presbyterian Hospital, doing whatever job needed to be done to ensure patients felt cared for and supported. Mary and her sister, Joy had a deep love of travel, which was reflected in their countless trips abroad with longtime friend Barbara Ingram.

She is survived by her cousins Thomas L. Covington of Leicester, NC; Dr. Shirley Covington of Lafayette, LA; Van B. Covington Jr. of Raleigh, NC; Helen Covington Rush of Biscoe, NC; Thomas Archer Ravenel Covington of New York, NY; Simmons Covington Lettre, Amelia Mills Lettre, and McKinley Covington Lettre of Bethesda, MD; and special friend and caregiver, Ann Forrest of Concord, NC. She was preceded in death by her parents Richard Hobson Covington and Grace Dunlap Covington, sister Ellen Joyce Covington, and fiancé Frank L. Caldwell.

A celebration of Mary Grace’s life will be held at 2:30 p.m., Friday, January 19, 2018 at Harry & Bryant Funeral Home, 500 Providence Rd., Charlotte, NC. The family will receive friends following the service. The final burial will be private. Pastor Ben Wilson will officiate. All are welcome to attend and celebrate Mary Grace.

The family would like to thank the kind and caring staff of The Pines at Davidson. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Pines at Davidson, Resident Support Fund, 400 Avinger Lane Davidson, NC 28036, Attention: Motria Procyk.