Mary Laura Priest Mace

MARY P. MACE MERRITT ISLAND , FLORIDA MARY LAURA PRIEST MACE PASSED AWAY ON SEPTEMBER 10, 2020 SHE WAS BORN IN BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA ON SEPTEMBER 15, 1921 TO HER PARENTS , MELINDA TIMMONS AND JAMES HOPKINS PRIEST. BOTH PARENTS WERE BORN IN NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE AND AFTER MARRIAGE MOVED TO BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA. HER EDUCATION INCLUDED BIRMINGHAM SOUTHERN COLLEGE, AUBURN UNIVERSITY AND MASSEY BUSINESS COLLEGE. SHE WAS PRECEDED IN DEATH BY HER HUSBAND, JOHN W. MACE IN 1994. MARY TRAVELLED TO VARIOUS PARTS OF THE WORLD WITH HER ARMY HUSBAND. SHE WAS A DEDICATED VOLUNTEER AND FELT IT WAS BOTH A PRIVILEGE AND A PLEASURE TO BE ABLE TO DO SOMETHING FOR OTHERS. WHILE IN GERMANY DURING THE 1950'S, SHE WAS A SCHOOL TEACHER. SHE ALSO ASSISTED GERMAN PERSONNEL IN FOUNDING LOCAL CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS IN THE GERMAN COMMUNITY. IN WASHINGTON, DC, SHE DID VOLUNTEER WORK WITH THE NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA AND WAS A MEMBER OF THE LITTLE JOHN BOYTON CHAPTER, NSDAR. IN SAN FRANCISCO, SHE VOLUNTEERED AT THE VETERANS HOSPITAL AT FT. MILEY AND LETTERMAN GENERAL HOSPITAL AT THE PRESIDO OF SAN FRANCISCO. MARY CAME TO COCOA BEACH, FLORIDA WITH HER HUSBAND IN 1963 AND CONTINUED INVOLVEMENT AS A VOLUNTEER. SHE IS A CHARTER MEMBER, PAST PRESIDENT AND HONORARY MEMBER OF THE COCOA BEACH WOMAN'S CLUB - THE VERY POPULAR SPACE COAST KING CONTEST STARTED DURING HER PRESIDENCY IN 1967: SHE WAS PRESIDENT OF THE BREVARD COUNTY FEDERATION OF WOMEN'S CLUBS: WAS PRESIDENT AND IS HONORARY MEMBER OF THE FLORIDA FEDERATION OF WOMEN'S CLUBS THE STATE ORGANIZATION HAD 28,000 MEMBERS DURING HER PRESIDENCY : MARY WAS A MEMBER OF THE COCOA BEACH COMMUNITY CHURCH (UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST). SHE SERVED AS PRESIDENT OF THE WOMEN'S FELLOWSHIP AND ON THE GOVERNING BOARD. MARY ALSO SERVED AS PRESIDENT OF THE FOLLOWING ORGANIZATIONS: owe, GERMANY: RETIRED OFFICERS WIVES (PAFB) CHARTER MEMBER : BREVARD PARLIAMENTARY LAW 1J NIT, CHARTER MEMBER: CANAVERAL LIGHT CHAPTER, UDC AND WAS LATER PARLIAMENTARIAN FOR THE STATE UDC: PHILIP PERRY CHAPTER NSDAR, LIFE MEMBER: COCOA BEACH CITIZENS LEAGUE: BREVARD SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA CENTRAL GUILD: BOARD OF TRUSTEES, BREVARD MUSEUM OF HISTORY AND NATURAL SCIENCE 1 AND IS A LIFE MEMBER: SHIDE'S PRIDE (INCLUDES ALL 50 STATE PRESIDENTS DURING THE 1980 - 1982 GFWC ADMINISTRATION) LIFE MEMBER: MARY WAS CHAIRMAN OF THE POPULAR ASTRONAUTS WIVES BANQUET IN COCOA BEACH DURING THE MOONWALK FESTIVAL: CHAIRMAN OF UNITED WAY SPECIAL GIFTS: CHAIRMAN OF THE COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT COMMITTEE, BREVARD HOSPICE, WUESTHOFF HOSPITAL: CHARTER MEMBER, BREVARD ZOO: LIFE MEMBER OF MISSILE SPACE AND RANGE PIONEERS: LIFE MEMBER HOAA AND CAPE CANAVERAL CHAPTER, MOAA : MARY WAS MEMBER AND SERVED THE FOLLOWING ORGANIZATIONS: ADVISORY BOARD, AMERICAN LUNG ASSOCIATION , SPACEPORT REGION: AMERICAN RED CROSS VOLUNTEER AT PATRICK AIR FORCE HOSPITAL : BREVARD COUNTY REPUBLICAN EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE: BREVARD COUNTY HIST0RICAL COMMITTEE: ORDER OF EASTERN STAR, CANAVERAL CHAPTER #297 ; BOARD OF DIRECTORS, INTERNATIONAL GENERAL FEDERATION OF WOMEN'S CLUBS - INCLUDED- CHAIRMAN OF CITIZENSHIP DIVISION,(l) FLAG OF THE USA , (2) VAVS CERTIFYING OFFICIAL FOR ALL GFWC VOLUNTEERS IN ALL VETERANS HOSPITALS , (3) JUNIOR OLYMPICS: REA TOR ASSOCIATE: CHARTER MEMBER OF APOLLO XI PARLIAMENTARY LAW UNIT AND THE PARLIAMENTARIANS OF DAYTONA BEACH: MEMBER OF FLORIDA STATE ASSOCIATION OF PARLIAMENTARIANS (FSAP) AND NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF PARLIAMENTARIANS (NAP). MARY WAS A RESIDENT OF COCOA BEACH, FLORIDA FOR 26 YEARS AND THE INDIAN RIVER COLONY CLUB IN MELBOURNE, FLORIDA FOR 10 YEARS. AFTER TWO (2) YEARS IN HERMIT AGE, TENNESSEE, SHE MOVED TO MERRITT ISLAND, FLORIDA IN 2001. MARY IS SURVIVED BY HER BROTHER, WILLIAM A. PRIEST AND WIFE BEVERLY DASHER OF BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA; NEPHEWS,WILLIAM A. PRIEST,JR. OF CYPRESS, TEXAS: CHARLES D. PRIEST AND WIFE PATRICIA OF TRUSSVILLE, ALABAMA: GREAT NEICES AND NEPHEW, SHERI ARTHUR, NICOLE PRIEST, JESSICA PRIEST AND CODY PRIEST. AND PRECIOUS COUSINS, ROBBIE S. GREER, ROBERT FOSTER, MELODY S. ALEXANDER AND JOYS. DIXON ALL OF THE NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE AREA AND ALICE TIMMONS WILLIAMS OF TALLASSEE, ALABAMA. EXPRESSIONS OF REMEMBRANCE AND SYMPATHY MAY BE SENT TO: COCOA BEACH COMMUNITY CHURCH P.O. BOX 320009, COCOA BEACH, FLORIDA 32932-0009. OR TO YOUR FAVORITE CHARITY Funeral services will be held Saturday, September 19, 2020 at Beckman ~ Williamson Funeral Home, Cocoa Beach at 2:00 PM