Mary Frances Grotgen Russo Cowand

Mary Frances Grotgen Russo Cowand, (79) of Wilmington, NC, passed away on June 5, 2023. Mary was a caring wife, mother, grandmother, sister, friend, and educator.  Her family and friends are deeply saddened by her passing and miss her dearly. 

Mary is survived by her loving and devoted husband, of over 23 years, John W Cowand, Jr of Wilmington, NC; her three children Billy Russo (Tara Cooke) of Myrtle Beach, SC; Mary Ann Moore (Brian) of Wilmington, NC; and Fred Russo (Angie) of Las Vegas, NV; her four grandchildren Jeffrey, Dylan, and Nicholas Russo and Kendall Moore; her brother John F. Grotgen, Jr (Jean) of Wilmington, NC; her brother-in-law Glenn Russo of Hampstead, NC; and her nephews Travis and Darren Russo.  She is also survived by Wes Cowand (Nancy) of Clinton, NC and Mary Claire Barnhill (Jeff) of Wilmington, NC as well as their children Andrew Barnhill and Alexandra and Wesley Cowand.  She is loved and remembered by many beloved cousins, life-long friends, and students. 

Mary was preceded in death by her loving husband of over 29 years, William Ronald Russo, Sr., her parents John F Grotgen, Sr., Margaret Eason Grotgen, and her long-time sister-in-law Judy Russo.

Mary was born on December 18, 1943, at James Walker Memorial Hospital in Wilmington, NC. She grew up in Wilmington, NC and graduated from New Hanover High School in 1962.  She attended East Carolina University where she earned a BS and MS in Elementary Education.  She taught elementary education in New Hanover County, for over 34 years.  She spent most of her tenure at Forest Hills Elementary School, earning Teacher of the Year recognition.  Mary had a passion for education and loved all her former students and fellow educators; she especially loved when former students would come up to her when she was out and about and introduce themselves and share how they were doing.  She enjoyed attending events with her fellow Forest Hills Retired Teachers, especially their monthly lunches and celebrating the first and last day of school.  She was also a member of Delta Kappa Gamma, an organization of outstanding women educators.

Shortly after retiring, Mary met and married John Cowand.  They enjoyed their new blended family, getting to know each other’s friends and traveling, especially trips to New York City.

Also, during retirement, Mary was active in several different organizations including NC Sorosis, Red Hats, and Cape Fear Presbyterian Church, where she was a member for over 50 years.  Mary loved her church family, serving as an Elder and on several different committees.  She was also active in Presbyterian Women and Church Women United.  As a member of Church Women United, she loved visiting churches of varying denominations in the area and meeting other women who shared a vision of Christian unity and prayerful action.

Even with her busy schedule and various activities, she loved nothing more than spending time at the beach or with her family and friends but nothing made her happier than spending time with her grandchildren.

Mary was a wonderfully kind and compassionate person; she made an impact on many lives and she will be forever missed. 

The family would like to thank all the health care professionals that demonstrated so much love for Mary, including Dr. Frank Hobart, Dr. David Weatherford, Dr. Scott Visser and the staff at Trinity Grove.  During her most recent illness, she found sustaining comfort in the overwhelming cards, flowers, calls, and visits that she received from family and friends; her family is so appreciative of this outpouring of love and support.

Family and friends are invited to attend a celebration of life on Friday, June 9 at Andrews Mortuary on Market Street. Visitation at 10AM followed by a service at 11AM.  There will be a graveside immediately after the service at Greenlawn Memorial Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations be made to one of the following organizations that was close to Mary’s heart: Cape Fear Presbyterian Church, Temple Baptist Church, or NC Sorosis.

Share online condolences with the family, here, in the guestbook.