Mary Frances Waddell

Mary Frances Byrd Waddell, age 96, passed away peacefully on April 7, 2024, at home. She was born in Durham, NC to the late W. E. Byrd and Myrtle Leigh Byrd. She was a Durham native, growing up in a home on Mangum Street and then Trinity Park. A member of First Baptist Church for all of her 96 years, she was a gentle, kindhearted, and giving person.

Mary Frances graduated from Durham High School and attended Croft Business School from which she was recruited to work in the banking industry. She met and married Owen Waddell, her loving and devoted husband of 65 years, who predeceased her. As they began a family, Mary Frances stopped working outside the home until the last of their four children had made it through the major childhood illnesses of the day and had entered the second grade. Throughout the early child-rearing years Mary Frances enjoyed participating in a bowling league, bringing along whichever child was not yet in school so they could enjoy camaraderie with the other bowlers.

Together, Mary Frances and Owen provided a loving and supportive home. Yearly trips to the mountains in the fall and several week-long beach vacations each summer are cherished traditions their children have continued with their families. Upon returning to work in the banking industry, Mary Frances worked as a teller, then head teller where she became known for training new tellers. If you banked with CCB (later SunTrust) in the 70’s, 80’s or 90’s you were likely served by someone she trained.

Together with Owen, Mary Frances created a home life where her children had opportunities to flourish. A key part of this was sharing her faith, both by active involvement with First Baptist Church and ensuring her children had that same opportunity. It is an amazing thing to be a member of a congregation for 96 years, especially the life-long relationships developed through Sunday School classes that resulted in some of her most cherished friendships. That depth of faith and those friendships influenced the way Mary Frances provided loving support and opportunity to pursue the various endeavors in which her children had interest. Her oft-heard response was, “Why, I expect you’ll be one of the best there ever was” in relation to each pursuit. Protective when necessary, Mary Frances nonetheless had a way of allowing each of her children to become themselves without requirement that it match a parental expectation of one profession or another. Along with this, she modeled how a husband and wife can be one while still being individuals with their own interests.

Upon retirement and with children grown, Mary Frances and Owen began traveling the country. Many of these trips included one or more of the children, providing more cherished memories in their young adult years as they learned to see their parents in a new light. Other journeys were taken with bus tour groups where new friendships were established. They visited every state except Alaska, often re-tracing the routes Owen had taken crossing the country after his service in the Pacific Theater during World War II.

In her later years, Mary Frances modeled graceful aging, choosing to stop driving when her vision and reflexes were no long up to par. Though there were the usual ailments and break-down in her body’s abilities. She persevered in such a way that her children began to think of her as the Energizer Bunny, recovering and starting afresh after each significant event. Even in the last years as she was mostly home-bound, Mary Frances always sought to ensure her children and caregivers were okay, often asking, “Where is everybody?”. Only after she had been given the rundown of each person’s location, would she relax. She was especially fond of her caregivers and, like her children, was grateful for their assistance.

Mary Frances is survived by her son, Owen A Waddell, Jr. (Teri Danner) of Durham; daughter Kathy W. Jones (Jerry, deceased) of Durham; daughter Jean Underwood (Steve) of Raleigh, grandchildren, Matthew, and Jarrod (Marissa) and great grandchildren Forrest, and Mavrick and son, Bill Waddell (Teresa Roberts) and grandchildren, Brennan, Evan, and Alexander of Durham.

Mary Frances was also preceded in death by her brother W. E. Byrd, Jr., sister Marian Byrd Wyshosky, and nephew, Gregg Wyshosky.

Graveside Services will be held at 11 a.m., Friday, April 12, 2024, at Maplewood Cemetery, 1621 Duke University Road, Durham, NC 27701. Pallbearers will be Jarrod Underwood, Matthew Underwood, Evan Waddell, and Alexander Waddell.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made to a local hospice agency of your choosing.