Mary Faye (Spivey) Duck

Mary Faye Duck was born in Philadelphia, MS on November 13, 1924 to Homer and Eva Oden Spivey. She passed away Wednesday, March 9, 2022 at a Belton care center. She had two older brothers, Lassiter McCauley and Homer Bruce Spivey, Jr. Tough times saw the family move to Memphis in the late 20’s. That is where she met her best lifelong friend, Rose Marie Weber (Manning). Their adventures could have been written by Horatio Alger. While attending Humes High School, she met Frank and Corrie Link. They gave her a job earning 25¢ hour at Link’s Photography Studio. After graduation, she loaded bomb sights into airplanes headed for WWII. It was there that she discovered her love of flying. She was a licensed pilot.

In 1945, her brother McCauley brought home a buddy in the Army Air Corps (Air Force) named Marvin Duck. Mary Faye was smitten.

So smitten in fact that she and her mother drove from Memphis to Spokane Washington in a 32 Ford coupe (Marvin won in a card game) with a purse full of gas and tire rationing coupons to marry Marvin Duck before he could get away to join the war in the Pacific.

When he returned, the newlyweds settled in Memphis. Back at Link’s Studio they learned the business of photography which they bought and renamed Duck’s Studio. They added the famous Blue Light Studio on Beale Street. Between the two businesses they photographed nearly every high school graduate in Arkansas and Mississippi as well as Elvis and Pricilla Presley (her beehive hair photo and Elvis’ yellow sport coat picture was featured in her book, ‘’Elvis and Me”), Johnny Cash, Charley Pride, Charlie Rich and many other business and civic leaders as they found success in Memphis from the 40’s through the 70’s. Upon retirement Mary Faye enrolled at Memphis State University to study real estate, and became a licensed realtor and investor.

They moved to Temple, TX in 1994 to join their children and young grandchildren. They loved to travel and drove all over the US. Often to deliver cars and trucks the family auto dealerships had sold.

Upon Marvin’s passing in 2003, Mary Faye discovered cruises. Along with her daughter Eva and son-in-law Jim, with a champagne glass in hand… they saw the world by sea!

The accomplishment she was most proud of though, was her family. She and Marvin had two children, a daughter, Eva Marie Duck Tranum (Jim) and a son, William McCauley ‘’Bill’’ Duck (Cindy); grandchildren, Christina Marie Trammell (Tony), Anna Marie Kessler(David), Lisa Marie Wiggins (Will) and McCauley Duck; great grandchildren, Austin and Tyler Trammell, Andrew, Sarah Marie, and James Kessler, Wren and Truett Wiggins. Mary Faye was preceded in death by her parents, her two brothers and by an infant granddaughter.

Her yearly gift of a cruise for the entire family to be together will be remembered for several generations.

As you can clearly see… Mary Faye was adventurous and ready for the next fun. A life well lived and well LOVED!

The family will receive visitors from 5-7:00pm Friday, March 11, 2022 at Scanio-Harper Funeral Home. A private family burial will take place at Deer Creek Gardens on the family place in Troy, Texas.

Memorials may be given in Mrs. Duck’s name to Baylor Scott and White McLane Children’s, 2401 S. 31st St., Temple, Texas 76508 or to the charity of choice.