Mary Lou (Brannan) Edward

Born in 1930, in Morgantown West Virginia, to parents Dorsey and Estelle Brannan, Mary Lou Edward was a child that knew struggle and perseverance. Growing up during the Great Depression taught Mary Lou to be frugal, to remain practical, and most importantly it taught her to never stop being generous, a quality that carried her all through her life. As she grew, Mary Lou pursued higher education at West Virginia University, remaining a proud Mountaineer and a Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority sister for all of her life. In 1951 she successfully graduated with a teaching degree and went on to Yale for a Graduate degree in nursing. It was at Yale that a fateful encounter with William “Bill” Edward set her on a path to finding love and family, and a heart for service. Mary Lou and Bill spent two wonderful years as a couple until the Summer of 1953 when they tied the knot officially and eloped. Freshly married, the two made a life in New Haven where Mary Lou taught middle school and junior high for nine years, inspiring and encouraging all who entered her classroom to pursue lifelong learning.

In 1962 Mary Lou left the classroom in order to embrace a new role, that of a mother, to her first daughter, Robin, and later to daughter, Carol and son, John. Filled with love and always ready to give her support, she nurtured within her children a passion for cooking, for gardening, and for an active, healthy lifestyle – but more than anything she taught them the importance of being kind and keeping a generous spirit.

As one might expect from a particularly generous spirit, Mary Lou quickly took to volunteering in her community, supporting causes for education, for faith and spirituality, for childhood development, and family planning. She gave in great amounts her time, her love, her joy, and her abundant energy. Her start came with the Junior League and that work later led to an even greater role as a founding supporter of All Faiths Receiving Home. Here she found inspiration in the shape of Janet Stromberg, a fellow founder and friend. For fifty years Mary Lou dedicated herself to All Faiths Receiving Home, working with the auxiliary Board and twice serving as Board President. She started the Endowment Foundation, was the heart of All Faiths Apple festival, and in 1999 her dedication and sacrifice was honored by the Children’s Champion Award, presented by All Faiths. Title or no title, Mary Lou was known for her willingness to serve, to roll up her sleeves and jump into the thick of things in order to lend a helping hand and for that she became highly respected in her community.

Children of course were always at the forefront of her mission to serve, and Mary Lou felt the great lack in resources for family planning and community access to healthcare. Always one to search for a solution, Mary Lou became a founding member of Planned Parenthood of the Rio Grande in 1962 and worked ceaselessly for over twenty-five years with the organization. In 1991 her efforts were recognized by the Margaret Sanger Award. On city, county, and state committees, Mary Lou served New Mexico communities. Holding fast to her motto, “Every child should be wanted, cared for, and loved” she put her all into the Governor’s Task Force on Adolescent Pregnancy, the Coalition for Children, the Medicaid Advisory Committee, the Citizens Review Board, and the NM Advocates for Children and Families. Truly the joy she was able to bring to children and families became the biggest source for her own joy.

Despite the numerous causes she supported, Mary Lou Edward still found time to support the NM Symphony Orchestra for ten years, not to mention founding and volunteering for PTAs at three different schools, working with the Aspen Retinal Detachment Society and the Presbyterian Ear Institute Board of Trustees.

In her later years Mary Lou took on tutoring at Long Fellow Elementary School and volunteered as a reader for North Valley Academy Library until the age of eighty-nine.

As equally close to her heart as her desire to inspire and care for children was, Mary Lou’s faith kept her strong and grounded for all her life. As a parishioner, a volunteer, a Deacon, and an Elder serving multiple terms on the Session, Mary Lou worshipped in the Presbyterian Church for sixty years. It was her faith that fueled all her civic endeavors.

Trying to tackle some of the greatest challenges affecting society required tireless efforts, constant sacrifices, and an ocean’s worth of compassion. Mary Lou served with courage, with love, with grace, and with empathy – she remained ever passionate in her endeavors to better the world. Her courage, her sacrifice, and her passion were all recognized in 1988 by the YMCA who awarded Mary Lou the Woman on the Move Award, and again in 2005 when she was inducted into the Silver Horizons ABQ Senior Hall of Fame.

Mary Lou filled her life with love and joy and as such, she shined brightly in her community. Developing meaningful and long-lasting friendships, pursuing her passions, and spreading that passion to others, and taking in all of the beauty around her, she remained surrounded by laughter and admiration. She found joy in her favorite physical activities such as skiing and bike riding; she was a master gardener and a fabulous cook; she delighted in time spent with her children and her grandchildren; she was a voracious reader and a member in several book clubs – she took in all that life had to offer, and she made the world a brighter place. Just as she thrived in her favorite city Snowmass, Colorado, soaking in nature while on a hike, skiing down the mountain, picnicking by a stream or singing along at Aspen Music Festival concerts, so too did she thrive when surrounded by family and friends.

Mary Lou had a servant’s heart and worked all her life to serve her community. She was a teacher, an advocate, a mother, a wife, a daughter, and she lived a life that will continue to inspire.

Memorial Services will be held on Saturday, January 21st, 2023, at Shepard of the Valley Presbyterian Church on 1801 Montano Road NW at 2:00pm.

Please visit our online guestbook for Mary Lou at www.FrenchFunerals.com.

FRENCH – University

1111 University Blvd. NE

505-843-6333