Mary A Cathey

Mary was the daughter of the late Nancy and Joe Akers, Mary was born in Charlotte on April 25, 1928. She grew up with her sister, the late Nancy Akers Wallace and brother, the late Jimmy Akers, at Akers Acres (the family home on Sardis Rd).

Mom graduated from Salem Academy and Southern Seminary College. She and our dad, Bill Scruggs, were married in 1950 and had three children, Helen, Marvin, and Sue. Daddy bought a farm in Weddington in the late 1950’s where we spent many weekends. Marvin loved “the farm” so much he built his home and raised his family there. Mom found salvaged heart of pine boards from old houses being torn down in Charlotte and used them to build a small cabin. I loved walking the fields with her picking queen annes’s lace and other wildflowers to fill jars to place on tables and windowsills in the cabin. Cut summer flower bouquets are now a tradition that has followed us into our own homes. We’ve lost count of all the birthday parties, oyster roasts, weddings, camp outs, proms, pig pickings, dove shoots, shrimp boils, and Thanksgivings celebrated in that cabin.

Our parents had a precious and very happy marriage, cut tragically short by Daddy’s sudden and unexpected death in 1964 at the age of 39. I recall the two of them slow dancing cheek to cheek to the radio in the kitchen when he arrived home from work. I have no greater joy than running into a friend of my parents to hear them share a memory and describe the joy of being around Bill and Mary and soak in the warmth of their love .

In 1967, Mom married Hugh Cathey and together they enjoyed playing tennis, traveling, and spending summers in Brevard, an area rooted deep into Mom’s heart. They loved to capture wild animals that wandered into their Connestee house and release them on an out of the way mountain road. I imagine the population of raccoons, squirrels, and skunks in Transylvania County has remained robust thanks to their recovery efforts. When Hugh died in 2005, Mom moved full time to Brevard where she lived until moving to Southminster in 2013. Mom was so happy in Brevard and created a whole community of friends and activities around her love of gardening, music, painting, hiking. Attending concerts at the Brevard Music Center was an eagerly anticipated summer event. A perfect Brevard day would include working in Nancy Morrow’s garden alongside the volunteer gardening group “the Posies” followed by lunch and laughter.

Trying to capture a life in an obituary and photograph is impossible, but Mom will be remembered for her endless encouragement and boundless love for others; always putting others first. Her smile brightened many weary souls, empty spaces, and her encouraging words lifted numerous discouraged spirits, including ours. Mom was a southern lady who’s grace, humour, manners, and concern of others made us proud. Mom loved to call and check in on shut ins. Mom loved organizing parties, especially luncheons “for the girls.” She could create the perfect impromptu gathering with a sleeve of saltines, block of grocery store cheese, wine, and Popov vodka. The door was always open to her home with the promise of leaving feeling loved, included, and important in her life.

Mom had many hobbies and passions including travel and adventures anywhere from relaxing at the old Cassena Inn in Pawleys Island, painting in Santa Fe, savoring cafes and sites in Provence. She delighted in nature and loved nothing more than studying the colors and textures of the sky, mountains, desert, flowers, natural design, rocks, fabrics, flowing water. She was a talented watercolorist and often exhibited pieces in Brevard art shows. Mom was always ready to pilfer through a junk shop or flea market with the special gift of discovering the beauty and uniqueness in treasures others passed by. She was always looking for space in her house to put another antique table, shelf, or chair. The walls in Mom’s house were covered with eclectic paintings, ceramics, masks, an Asian rattan mattress, carvings, and textiles. Her love of art, color, and design passed onto to us girls as none one of us have an extra inch on our walls to hang anything else.

We are so proud to be Mary’s children and grateful to have learned her gentle and loving ways. Our family desperately misses our brother, Marvin, who was killed in an accident on the farm in August 2018. Luckily Mom never completely comprehended his death.

Our mother lived her life fully with love, laughter, joy and caring. Her family and friends will never lose her warmth and glow that will always embrace us.

Mary is survived by her daughters, Helen Akers Scruggs and Sue Scruggs Rudkin, daughter-in-law LuAnn Scruggs, grandchildren Kristan Foard Dewey and her husband Eddie, Mary Cameron Rudkin, Emily Rudkin Day and her husband Michael, Katie Scruggs Logan and her husband Dan, Ashlyn Scruggs, six great grandchildren, and beloved kitties Clive and Shorty.

Memorials can be sent to Brevard Music Center, 349 Andante Lane, Brevard, NC 28712.

Memorial service will be private, but please raise a glass and give a toast to the preciousness of your loved ones, the beauty of nature, and friendships lifelong and new.

The family thanks the incredible caregivers at Southmister for the genuine love and constant attention they provided to our Mom.

On-line condolences may be shared at www.mcewenpinevillechapel.com.