Mary Jewell Murray Ott, age 82, passed away peacefully in Ridgeway, SC on Friday, September 15, 2023 after a long illness. She was born on January 28, 1941, in Goldsboro, NC. Mary was a kind, sweet, generous, compassionate, and loving individual. She will be deeply missed by all who knew her.
Mary lived in Columbia, SC for most of her life. She received her higher education at Chowan College in Murfreesboro, NC, and the University of SC in Columbia, SC. She was dedicated to her career as an Administrative Assistant at National Programming, SC ETV, in Columbia, SC, from 1987 to 2010. She was especially proud of her work in programming development at South Carolina Educational Television for more than two decades.
Mary was an active member of Bethel United Methodist Church. She found joy in her involvement with the church and had a deep love for art. Mary cherished spending time with her friends and family, and was an avid dog and (especially) cat lover. She loved her cats and dog.
Mary is survived by her niece, Michelle Murray Allison (Noah); great-niece, Amy Crouch (Thomas); and great-nephew, Nathaniel Allison.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Gus Ott; mother, Jewell Essie Rogers Murray; her father, Thomas “Tommy” Jefferson Murray; her brother, Thomas “Jeff” Jefferson Murray, Jr. and much loved pets.
There will not be an official memorial service at this time, but a gathering may take place in the future. The funeral arrangements will be private and are being handled by Elmwood Funeral Home, 501 Elmwood Avenue, Columbia, SC 29201.
In lieu of flowers, her family requests that donations be made to the City of Columbia Animal Services at 127 Humane Ln, Columbia, SC 29209, or The South Carolina Humane Society at 405 Greenlawn Drive, Columbia, SC 29209, https://humanesc.org/donate/
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.elmwoodfhcolumbia.com for the Ott family.
