Mary E Horton

April 18, 1929 – April 21, 2019

Mary was born in Topeka, Kansas to John and Margaret Barstow. They later lived in Mountain Lakes, New Jersey until she married. Mary graduated from Mountain Lakes High School in 1946. She had become interested in flying and received her private pilot’s license the same year. Mary attended Stephens College, trained and received her commercial license and flight instructors license upon graduating in 1949. She started instructing at Morristown airport and married Kenneth Horton, a pilot for Sinclair Oil Company, on October 8, 1949. They moved to Dire Dawa, Ethiopia where she became the first licensed female pilot of record in Ethiopia.

In 1952 they returned home to Tulsa, Oklahoma. After several moves, they retired from California to Punta Gorda in 1981 where she was an early member of the Congregational UCC church and later moved to Largo to be closer to her daughter. Mary was a longtime member of Sweet Adeline’s and sang in many church choirs. She is survived by her two daughters, Carol Sterling (Gil) of Clearwater, FL and Sally Willingham (Robert) of Glendale, CA, and grandchildren Alyssa and David Willingham and their children.

She was preceded in death by her brother John Barstow, son Brian Horton and her husband, Ken Horton. Her family will miss her very much.