Marie Patricia Salyers

Marie Salyers passed away on August 18, 2016, from ovarian cancer. She was predeceased by her husband, Edwin, and leaves behind four children: Doug married to Beth Moss Salyers and David married to Lynn Spencer Salyers (all of Atlanta), Beth (Cary, NC), and Tom married to Katy Roche (Takoma Park, MD). She was affectionately called “Muffin” by her 7 grandchildren: Amelia, Jake, Amanda, Nick, Daniel, Camille, and Ellie.

Marie was born to Lithuanian parents in Camden, NJ, one of 12 children (including surviving siblings, Eleanor Medany and Fritz Bayruns, both of NJ). In high school, she was a cheerleader and Varsity Queen. Known as “Dotty Director” by her classmates, she was selected the senior class’s most popular girl, class clown, and class optimist. She attended both University of Delaware and Lincoln Memorial University (where she met Edwin). They married in 1954 and lived in Athens, GA; Trinidad; Louisville; Birmingham; and Orlando before settling in Atlanta in the 1960s.

She was active in the community as a member of Peachtree Junior Women’s Club, Murphy Candler Garden Club, the Board of Trustees of the DeKalb County Library System, and played an instrumental role in the founding of the tennis center at Blackburn Park. She volunteered in numerous political campaigns. For her community leadership, she was awarded a key to the “Clean City of Chamblee” for the litter pick-up and beautification efforts she coordinated in the 1970s, and Life Membership in the PTA for her many contributions to the school communities at Nancy Creek Elementary and Chamblee High School.

One of Marie’s life-long passions was bargain shopping. She turned this avocation into a business by co-authoring 2 editions of “The Best for Less: A Shopper’s Guide to Atlanta” in the 1970s.

Marie’s hobbies included tennis, bridge, and Scrabble. In addition, she was a button collector who scoured flea markets and yard sales to uncover valuable and rare buttons. She created unique jewelry and attractive pieces of art from her tens of thousands of buttons.

Marie will always be remembered for her unending dedication to helping her family—and in doing so with her perennially sunny outlook. She placed the needs of others before her own, getting great joy from knowing that she brought happiness to others. Her family and friends mourn the loss of Mom/Muffin/Marie.

The family will receive visitors on Thursday, August 25, 6:00-8:00 p.m. at H.M. Patterson & Sons, Oglethorpe Hill, 4550 Peachtree Road NE. The funeral will be held on Friday, August 26, 11:00 a.m. at St. James Methodist Church, 4400 Peachtree Dunwoody Rd. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Eagle Ranch, 5500 Union Church Road, Flowery Branch, GA 30542.