Mary Elizabeth McBride Boswell

Mary Elizabeth was born on March 28, 1923, in Indianapolis, Indiana, to Risdon Price McBride and Mary Ruth Cooper McBride. They moved to Orlando, Florida, in 1924, where she attended school and graduated from Central High in 1941. She attended Florida State University (then Florida State College for Women) where she was a member of the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority. She then transferred to Drury College of Springfield, MO, obtaining a B.A. in Education in 1946. She married Harry Douglas Boswell of Columbus, Georgia on June 4, 1946. After many years residing in Coral Gables, Florida and Asheville, North Carolina, they moved to Springfield, MO, in 1960. In 1969 with their four young children, John, Mark, Sally, and Thomas, they moved to Tallahassee, Florida. In Tallahassee, she taught in the Leon County Public School system in numerous positions with notable acclaim from 1972 upon retirement in 1988. Amongst her peers, she was recognized as a gifted teacher who could inspire children of all backgrounds to do great things in the classroom and in life. She gave herself to everyone around her. Her patience was legendary and her kindness was endearing to anyone who knew her. She was a longstanding member of the P.E.O. organization. Mary was a passionate musician who was classically trained on the piano and loved to play pop tunes on the Hammond organ. She would regale friends and family in special serenades on one of her numerous organs; swaying back and forth, with a glass of wine on hand, to the delight of her audience.

Mary is survived by her husband, Harry D. Boswell of Tallahassee, FL; daughter, Sally Burkhalter of Valdosta, GA; sons, John Douglas Boswell of New York City, Mark Warren Boswell of New York City, Thomas McBride Boswell of Orlando, FL; grandchildren, Nathan Burkhalter of Houston, TX, Lydia Burkhalter Hoffpauir of Lafayette, LA, Elizabeth Burkhalter Mitchell of Greeneville, SC, Joel Burkhalter (U.S. Air Force) of Little, Rock, AR, and Benjamin Burkhalter of Valdosta, GA.

Funeral Services will be held at Culley;s MeadowWood Chapel, 700 Timberlane Road, on February 16th at 10:00 a.m., Saturday morning.