Born on December 1, 1940, in Raleigh, North Carolina (Wake County) Mary Lou later made her home in Greensboro, North Carolina, where she built a life centered around faith, family, hard work, and love. She was a devoted Christian whose strength, compassion, and unwavering dedication to those she loved were a true reflection of the remarkable woman she was. Mary Lou touched the lives of many through her kindness, resilience, wisdom, and the love she freely shared with her family and friends.
For more than 40 years, Mary Lou worked as a sheet metal mechanic with Industrial Air, a career she took great pride in. She was a woman of incredible determination and strength, known for her dedication, skill, and strong work ethic in a field that required perseverance and craftsmanship. Her commitment to her work and her ability to build a life for herself and her family serve as a lasting testament to her character and the legacy she leaves behind.
Mary Lou was preceded in death by her parents, Nancy Cotner and Raymond Cotner; her daughters, Alice Kirkwood and Bonita Hunt; her son, Anthony Caulder; her great-grandson, Triston Walker; her great great granddaughter, Isla McLaughlin; her sister, Jody Hamlet; her brother, Pete Cotner; her half-brother, Richard Cotner; her half sister, Athalea Cotner; and her sister, Bertha Teague.
She leaves behind a loving family who will forever cherish her memory, including her brothers, Jimmy Cotner and William Cotner; her grandchildren, Keusa Hunt, Joshua Hunt (Brittany Hunt), and Derek Hunt; her great-grandchildren, Shay Thorpe, Max Walker, Shane Hunt, Shyanna Hunt, Joshua Hunt Jr, Brantley Hunt, Ava Hunt, Alanna Hunt, and Hayden Hunt; and her great-great grandchildren, Gianni Porter, Ivy Walker, Issoria McLaughlin, Ossyan McLaughlin, and Ilias Walker.
One of Mary Lou’s greatest blessings in life was witnessing five generations of her family. During her final days, she was surrounded by the love and laughter of her beloved great-great-grandchildren, and nothing brought her greater joy than being able to spend precious time with them. She cherished every smile, every hug, and every moment they shared together, considering their presence one of God’s greatest gifts and one of the greatest blessings of her life.
Mary Lou also leaves behind countless beloved cousins, nieces, nephews, extended family members, and dear friends who will forever hold her memory close to their hearts.
Though our hearts are heavy with grief, we find comfort in knowing that Mary Lou’s faith has become sight and that she is now resting peacefully in the presence of the Lord. Her legacy of strength, perseverance, love, and devotion will continue to live on through the many generations of family she helped shape. She will be deeply loved, forever remembered, and greatly missed.
Funeral Services will be held at 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday September 16, 2023, at the Hanes-Lineberry Funeral Home Sedgefield Chapel conducted by Jimmy Cotner. Interment will follow in Red Cross Baptist Church Cemetery in Climax. The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Wednesday from 2:00 p.m. until service time.
Serving as pallbearers will be Ryan Cotner, Ben Cotner, R.P. Teague, Owen Teague, Max Walker and Josh Hunt.
