Mary Ruth Montague Northington

Mary Ruth, "Boo", Mom, was born in Goldsboro, NC on Dec 11, 1935 to Mae Ellis and Theodore Dixon Montague. She was their middle child, sister to David George and Theodore Dixon Montague, Jr., brothers who fondly nicknamed her Boo. She spent her childhood in Goldsboro growing up with her family.

After college, Mary Ruth moved to Raleigh, married and had her first and only child, Jane, in 1961. She and Jane moved to New Bern, close to her parents, in 1964 where she began the career she loved in banking.

Mary had a vibrant personality. She loved people and adored traveling with friends, particularly to Hawaii, where she was fortunate to visit three times. She was an ardent collector seeing value in things that others often could not. Everything had value. Everything had purpose.

Mom loved poodles & chocolate! Especially chocolate covered cherries. She passed her chocolate gene down generations. She so loved and was so loved by her grandchildren, Joshua Galloway & Robin Wallin and was over the moon to be given great-grandchildren, Daxston Galloway & Worth Wallin. Those grands & greats were her apples.

Life was not always kind to mom in her latter years. She fought that with everything she had. Today, we honor a strong, healthy, renewed Mary as she embraces her greatest journey yet.

Until we meet again. With all of our love~ Jane & Larry Swinson; Josh, Kat & Dax Galloway; Robin, Matt & Worth Wallin; and her many loving family and friends.

A celebration of Mary's life will be held at 11:00 am on Saturday, February 8, 2025, at the Lakeside Chapel at Greenleaf Memorial Park.

In death, Mary becomes a teacher by sharing the beauty and mystery of the human body with the High Point University Willed Body Program.

Cotten Funeral Home is honored to serve the family and friends of Mary Ruth Montague Northington.