Mary Virginia Tunis
Mary Virginia Tunis joined her husband, family, friends, and dogs in heaven on December 2nd, 2023. She passed peacefully and ascended, leaving this world from the embrace of her son, daughter, friends, and loving caretakers at the Woodlands in Ocean Pines. Heaven is aglow with her arrival.
Born on July 7, 1935, Mary Virginia Webster joined a large family with brothers Sam, Tom, and Rolland, and sisters Sibby and Nancy (deceased as an infant). Mary landed in this world in Cambridge, Maryland in the throes of the Great Depression. But the obstacle of a mere economic meltdown was nothing to a woman of Mary's grit, perseverance, brilliance, positivity, and kindness. Mary learned early to "grow her way forward." She had a green thumb for plants and life. She nurtured everything she touched, and the world flowered in her presence.
Mary was humble yet had amazing talents that seemed to be limitless. She was the center of her high school basketball team at a towering 5 feet, 4 inches. Mary could jump! While tending the gardens and chickens to keep the family fed, Mary excelled in school and went on to become a world class nurse after putting herself through nursing school in Wilmington, Delaware.
It was her nursing skills that brought her together with George Tunis, Jr., as Mary cared for George's father following a stroke. Mary was a stunning Eastern shore "gemstone," but it was her kindness and caring way that left George breathless. They fell hopelessly in love, were inseparable, and are together again after raising a surviving family that includes two children, six grandchildren, and three great grandchildren.
Mary was the consummate wife of the 1950s and her style put June Cleaver to shame. Mary kept a firm hand on the household tiller, cooked like Julie Childs, and patched up every kid in the neighborhood from endless bike and skateboard road-rash incidents. Lidocaine was not a thing yet, but Mary could take the sting away from iodine with her kindness and loving touch.
Between nursing and raising a family, Mary was the queen of the petrochemical chemistry world, supporting George in his career at DuPont. Mary was George's secret weapon. She was the "behind the scenes," no credit needed, business genius that could size people up in twenty minutes or less. Mary had a "sixth sense" for good people, and she had amazing breadth and depth in any meeting or business dealing. She came from a farm, but she taught her children that no matter where you came from, we are all the same. She was equally comfortable weeding her gardens (without bending her knees!) as she was with a cocktail in her hand in the company of oil company owners and CEOs. She could host a party for 200, make all the food (real time), and float from guest to guest making everyone feel like they were the most important person in the house.
Mary was elegance and kindness personified. She was inspiring to all, hardworking to a fault, and was the best friend anyone could have. She believed true friends show up to help when things are not going well, and she left that mission with all that were close to her. Earth lost a mom, grandmother, great grandmother, and friend on December 2nd, but all gained an angel.
Services will be held privately at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to Costal Hospice at PO Box 1733, Salisbury, MD 21802 in Mary's name.
Letters of condolence can be sent to the family via www.burbagefuneralhome.com. Arrangements are in the care of The Burbage Funeral Home.