Mary Spina Cason passed away peacefully on Monday, Oct. 23, 2023 at Belmont Village Senior Living Community in Atlanta, GA. A funeral mass for the family will be celebrated at St. Joseph Catholic Church followed by a private burial ceremony held at Rose Hill Cemetery. Father John Johnson will officiate. A reception for friends and family will be held at Snow’s Memorial Chapel, located at 1419 Bass Road, in Macon, Georgia at 1:00 p.m. on Friday, November 3, 2023.
Mrs. Cason, the daughter of the late Salvatore “Sam” and Gaetana Solano Spina, was born on Oct. 3, 1925 in Boston, Mass. Her family moved to Italy and returned to Lynn, Mass, in 1938, at the start of the Second World War. She completed her education in Massachusetts.
In 1950, she traveled to Europe with her family for a three-month visit. Soon after she accepted a position with the U.S. embassy in Vienna, Austria. During her time in Vienna, she met her husband, the late F.H. Cason, originally of Lake City, Fla, an intelligence officer in the U.S. Army. They married in 1953 and settled in Macon, Ga.
In 1993, she retired after a 22-year career with the OBGYN Specialists' Office. During her retirement, Mrs. Cason spent many years volunteering for Friends of the Library, a non-profit dedicated to supporting Macon-Bibb County Libraries and the literacy effort for that community. Throughout her life, she enjoyed entertaining family and friends in her home, needlepointing beautiful ornaments and pillows and cooking traditional Italian fare including spaghetti and meatballs with marinara and almond biscotti.
A lover of coffee and an avid reader, Mrs. Cason enjoyed several cups a day and maintained her reading habits up until her death. She enjoyed friendly sparring over politics and religion, always keen to share her opinions and listen to those of others, even when they differed from her own. Her home was decorated with beautiful photographs of multiple generations of her family, and she was happiest when she was surrounded by her loved ones. Mrs. Cason took care to maintain regular correspondence with her friends and family via hand-written cards which were always selected with the particular recipient and occasion in mind. Her grandchildren and great-grandchildren were often, therefore, the lucky recipients of regular birthday cards and treats as well as surprise cards with ice cream money enclosed from their beloved Nonna.
Mrs. Cason believed in the importance of presentation throughout her life, and she maintained her signature European style throughout her adulthood and even into her 90s. She was a gin rummy phenom, and she insisted on playing ganja at all family gatherings. Known for her engaging personality, she was always looking to show off a dance move, sing a tune and share a joke. Above all, Mrs. Cason loved her church and looked forward to spending each morning in her front room reading the Bible and connecting with God. Truly, she was a force, and one that will be missed dearly, though the family rejoices that she is now in Heaven with her Creator.
Mrs. Cason was preceded in death by her sister Sebastiana Spina and her brother Domenick Spina.
She is survived by her four children, nine grandchildren and six great-grandchildren with one more on the way: Neal Cason and wife Mary of Atlanta and their children, Elizabeth of Denver, Jack of Atlanta, and Annie and Patrick Culpepper of Asheville; Gail Cason Wilson of Atlanta and her children, John and Mary Beth Wilson and their sons Cowles and Peter of Atlanta, Cason and Christian Given and their daughters Berkeley and Susie of Atlanta, Charles and Martha Wilson and their daughters Ginny and Lily of Atlanta, and Chase Wilson of Atlanta; Sabrina Cason, her caretaker and companion residing in Macon with her over the last fifteen years; and Terry Cason and wife Susan, and children Erin and Christopher, of Atlanta. She is also survived by a brother, Joseph Spina of Lynn, Mass, many nieces and nephews, and relatives in Sicily.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to St. Joseph Catholic Church, to benefit St. Joseph Cemetery in Rose Hill Cemetery, 830 Poplar St., Macon GA 31201.
Visit www.snowsmacon.com to express condolences.
Snow’s Memorial Chapel, Bass Road, has charge of the arrangements.
