Mary Rose Todd McGaughey

Born in Savannah, Georgia, she was the daughter of LaRue Roberts Todd and Alvah Todd. She spent part of her childhood in Franklin and Goldsboro, N.C., but mostly grew up in Asheville, N.C., raised by her mother, aunt and grandmother. When she met Robert Squire “Bob” McGaughey following high school, it was love at first sight. They married and began their life together in Asheville where they both worked for Southern Railway. She was a devoted mother to her three daughters, Becky, Vicki and Cathy, sharing countless trips together and bringing joy to their family life. She became the “fourth sister” following Bob’s sudden death when Mary was 51.

She served as caregiver to her mother and aunt until they died while also juggling work as a secretary for First Baptist Church of Decatur, and then as a photographer for the DeKalb County School System. She relished being a grandmother and great-grandmother, always ready to serve up a big plate of unconditional love to each and every one of them.

In 1989, she married Lou Hurley and the two of them shared many happy years of travel and volunteer service together. They also created special and memorable holiday gatherings and lake outings with family and friends. Though divorced in 2009, they remained close and continued to see one another and talked on the phone daily until her death.

She was an active community volunteer, visiting women in the DeKalb County Jail weekly for many years, cooking meals monthly for the Oakhurst Baptist Church Recovery Program and serving as a Guardian ad Litem in Cobb County. She relished serving as a Deacon at Oakhurst Baptist Church in Decatur, as a Stephen Minister with St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church in Kennesaw, and as an avid supporter of ministries at Heritage Baptist Church in Cartersville, where she was a member.

She is survived by her daughters, Becky McGaughey Thomas (Ron) of Gainesville; Vicki McGaughey Tutterow (Michael) of Cartersville; and Cathy McGaughey (Diane) of Franklin, N.C. She was a fun and loving grandmother to Matt Thomas (Robyn), Rusty Thomas (Mandy), Katie Thomas Swinford (Eric), Stephen Tutterow (Emilee), Madeleine Tutterow, and Molly Cate McGaughey-Lee. She also adored being a great-grandmother to Cole, Wyatt, Chase, Callan and Owen. Also surviving is a sister-in-law, Verna McGaughey, of Asheville, NC.

A Celebration of Life service will be held Friday, August 9, 2019, at 12:30 p.m. at Heritage Baptist Church in Cartersville, with her son-in-law, the Rev. Michael Tutterow, officiating. The family will receive friends an hour before the service.

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to Heritage Baptist Church, 1070 Douthit Ferry Road, Cartersville, GA 30120.