Mary Ann Pruzin

Columbia, South Carolina - Mary Ann (Russell) Pruzin was born on December 5, 1937, in Decatur, Alabama. She was the daughter of Emily Ann (Tillery) Russell and Noble Jefferson Russell. Mary Ann has two siblings: Elizabeth Russell Gilchrist and Noble Jefferson Russell, Jr.

Mary Ann spent much of her childhood in Decatur perusing the library where her grandmother served. Always curious, Mary Ann described herself as a “lifelong reading girl,” and could often be found reading on her sun porch, waiving at her neighbors walking by. Mary Ann graduated from the University of Alabama in 1958 and worked as a speech pathologist after college. Mary Ann and her former husband, The Very Reverend John “Jack” Ernest Banks, Jr., moved to Jacksonville, Fl, in 1970 where Rev. Banks served as the Rector of All Saints Episcopal Church. She earned her master’s degree in counseling in 1978 from the University of North Florida.

Along with their children, Emily Banks Riegel and John Ernest Banks, III, Mary Ann and Rev. Banks moved to Columbia, SC in 1979 when Rev. Banks was called to serve as the Dean of Trinity Episcopal Cathedral. Mary Ann was a Marriage and Family Therapist for 30 years in Columbia. She was a source of support not just for her clients, but her family, friends, and just about anyone she met. A steadfast listener, Mary Ann had a knack for knowing when those around her needed a friend to talk with or a shoulder to lean on. She exemplified selflessness, always putting the needs of others before her own. Even during hard times in her life, she found a way to be grateful—she often wrote down reminders of her gratitude and placed the notes around the house.

Mary Ann also knew how to have fun. She was known to stand on her chair when people sang her Happy Birthday every year. She couldn’t resist dancing when she heard a good song, whether she was home cooking dinner, at a USC game, or walking to her car in a grocery store parking lot. Her family will miss her impeccable dance moves and her fearless sense of self.

Mary Ann was blessed by her marriage to Robert “Bob” Pruzin in 1994. Bob served as a professor of French horn at the University of South Carolina School of Music for nearly 36 years before he died in 2013. Mary Ann loved attending Bob’s performances, and she often listened to recordings of his music.

Surviving Mary Ann are her siblings: Elizabeth Russell Gilchrist (Bill) and Noble Jefferson Russell, Jr; her daughter, Emily Banks Riegel; her stepchildren: Rachel and Jason Pruzin; her grandchildren: Scott Alan Cleary (Emma Moser) and Ellie Riegel (Daniel Young); her great-grandson, Griffin Cleary; and her goddaughters: Lucy and Gracie Kisner-Drennan and their family. She is predeceased by her son, John Ernest Banks, III, and her husband, Bob Pruzin.

Mary Ann will be greatly missed by family and friends. We give thanks for her kindness, compassion, and enthusiasm for life. A memorial service will be held at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral located at 1100 Sumter Street on Tuesday, May 27, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. The family will receive friends in Satterlee Hall at the church following the service. Memorials may be sent to Trinity Housing Corporation.