Mary Lois Downer

age 87, of Birmingham, beloved mother and wife went to be with her Lord and Savior on July 19, 2011. Born in Tishomingo, Mississippi prior to the Great Depression, she had a great love of family and worked hard with family and friends. She had a love of many sports and played on the Tishomingo High Schools girls basketball team. After moving to Birmingham she met the love of her life who ventured there himself after World War II. There were married in 1950 and they spent the next 60 years together until her death. They had three children, numerous grandchildren and great grandchildren. Soon after marrying they moved to Gordonsville, Virginia for his job with Sears and Roebuck. They moved back to Birmingham in 1953 to tend to her ailing mother and remained there for the majority of her remaining years. She was a long time member of Woodlawn Methodist church and the Mary Bell Sunday school class. In her later years she was a member of Gardendale Mt. Vernon Methodist church. She served her church through the Ambassador Sunday school class as well as being an employee in the Family Ministries Building. She was a longtime employee of Carraway Methodist hospital through-out her adult life. She loved gospel music, her many dachshunds, especially Sally, Williams Family reunions in Mississippi and especially Auburn University football, baseball and basketball. She faced Pancreatic cancer with grace and courage ever looking forward to rejoining her brother, mother and father in eternity. “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” Psalms 23:4. The family would like to extend a special thanks to the dedicated employees of Family Comfort Hospice for their care and attention to detail over the last weeks of her life. In lieu of flowers the family requests that donations be made to the Handicap Accessible Playground at Gardendale Mt. Vernon Methodist church in Gardendale, Alabama. She is preceded in death by her parents: Noah Webster Williams and Hattie Mae Williams; and her brothers: Buren Williams. Mary is survived by her husband, Reuben B. Downer; Sons: Richard Downer (Kathy), Robert Downer (Nancy); Daughters, Carolyn Liston; Grandchildren: Joey Liston, Thom Liston, Dan Liston, Lee Downer, Joe Downer, Sarah Downer, Noah Downer, Philip Downer, Peter Downer, Jessica Shinn, Alicia Shinn, Jarrod Shinn; Great Grandchildren: Joeylynn Liston, Dannie Liston, Lilian Downer, Wrenn Downer. Visitation will be held at Ridout’s Gardendale Chapel on Friday, July 22, 2011 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm, with funeral services on Saturday, July 23, 2011 beginning at 10:00 am and interment at Oakwood Memorial Gardens: Dr. Rudy Guess officiating.