Mary Lee (Wiley) Bryant

Mary Lee Bryant passed away on May 28, 2020 at her home in Luray with family present, as she wished. She was born April 23, 1923 in Fairfax, VA to the late Mary Lee and Edgar McCarty Wiley. Her husband, William T. Bryant and her sister Zoe Elizabeth Pickett also preceded her in death. She is survived by 3 daughters, Susan Caroline Boblitt, Mary Elizabeth Bryant McGurin, and Margaret Lee Williams and their husbands, as well as 4 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren.

Mary Lee graduated from Fairfax High School and worked at National Geographic magazine until the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941.  She then began working at Marine Corps Headquarters in Arlington VA.  She was married April 23, 1944 to Captain William Bryant from South Bridgton, ME who was in the US Army Corps of Engineers and later aircraft intelligence during the Pacific Campaign. After the war, the couple moved to Rhode Island where Bill taught physics at the University in Kingstown, and later to College Park, MD and Silver Spring, MD. They retired to Luray in 1975.

Mary Lee volunteered at the Luray Library, Meals on Wheels, the United Way, Page County Heritage Festival, and the Luray/Page County Chamber of Commerce.

She was a member of Christ Episcopal Church, the Luray Garden Club, the Tuesday Night Supper Club, the Purple Prunes Chapter of the Red Hats Society, and the Luray Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy. Mary Lee enjoyed her gardens and watching the birds, working crossword puzzles, reading, traveling, orchestrating parties and picnics, and watching Jeopardy.  She was very proud of being a native Virginian. Mom loved her family and friends, her cats, a good joke, and her drink of scotch at the end of her day. A private family interment of ashes is planned, with a Celebration of Life service and reception to be scheduled when social gathering is permitted.

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