Mary Neal Cornwell Sutton Wray, The Cypress of Charlotte, NC, went to be with her Lord and Savior on Monday, October 17, 2011. She was born July 30, 1922 to Loy C. Cornwell and Bessie Stirewalt Cornwell, the youngest of six children.
Born in Charlotte, she grew up in the small community of Rutherford College, NC, with her five siblings. After attending business college, she moved to Washington, DC. Mary was a lover of horses, having two of her own. This equine love brought her together with her first husband, Robert Sutton. Her daughter, Suzy, was born of this marriage which was sadly short lived, as Bob died from heart failure early in their marriage. Upon his death, in 1960, Mary moved to Charlotte. She began working for Duke Power where she caught the eye of one Jake Wray - and so goes the rest of the story.
Mrs. Wray was a former President of the Waxhaw Woman’s Club, and Chairman of the Charlotte Christian Women’s Club. She was a member of the Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary, Jane Parks McDowell Chapter DAR, and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Republican Women’s Club. She was a member of Calvary Church.
Mary was indeed a renaissance woman; having compassion for classical music, art, literature. She was an accomplished pianist. She was a woman of words - crosswords, loved word derivations, and she was a masterful "letter to the editor" writer. Her companion animals and fellowship with good friends contributed greatly to the quality of her life. First and foremost, Mary loved Jesus - those words alone would be her obituary.
She was also preceded in death by her second husband, James Q. Wray; her five siblings, Charles Cornwell, Carlyle Cornwell, Julian Cornwell, Martha Cornwell Marschalk, and Dorothy Cornwell Ellis.
She is survived by her daughter, Suzanna Eaton and husband Robert, of Charlotte; stepsons, Paxton Wray and wife Bess of Erdenheim, PA and Alan Wray and wife Darlene of Grover, NC. She is also survived by her numerous grandchildren. Also surviving are her two cats Sugar and Misty, who gave her great joy.
A Celebration of Mary’s Life will be held at The Cypress, 3442 Cypress Club Dr., Charlotte, NC at 3 o’clock on Sunday, October 23, 2011. The family will receive friends immediately following the service.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Building Fund of Calvary Church, 5801 Pineville-Matthews Road, Charlotte, North Carolina 28226 or the Humane Society of Charlotte.
SHARE OBITUARY
v.1.8.18