Mary Lib Allen Wood

1924 - 2018

Mary Lib Allen Wood obituary, 1924-2018, Raleigh, NC

FUNERAL HOME

Brown-Wynne Funeral Home & Crematory

300 Saint Mary's Street

Raleigh, North Carolina

Mary Wood Obituary

Published by Legacy Remembers on Jan. 8, 2018.

Mary Elizabeth Allen Wood passed away peacefully surrounded by her family in a circle of love, laughter, stories and tears on Sunday, January 7, 2018.

Mary Lib was born in Elkin, NC on April 21, 1924 to William Marion Allen and Cynthia Bethea Allen. The oldest of three children, she grew up in her beloved Elkin, graduated high school and then attended Salem College where she met a young State College baseball player named Robert Newlin Wood. They married, settled in Raleigh and, together, built a family and a wonderful life with deep connections to N.C. State University where Bob worked and civic involvements that Mary Lib loved, along with an amazingly wide array of friendships that defined them both.

Mary Lib loved her friends and she loved making new friends, young and old. Age truly was just a number to her as you were as likely to see her out to lunch with someone in their twenties as in their nineties and would consider herself contemporary to both! Mary Lib was always on the go being involved with projects, community boards, and organizations that brought people together, especially the arts; including the In and Out Garden Club, Colonel Polk Chapter of the DAR, Raleigh Fine Arts, the Assembly Book Club, Arts N.C. State, The Raleigh Bicentennial Committee, and Edenton Street United Methodist Church.

But, more than anything else, she was a mother, a grandmother, a great grandmother and matriarchal aunt to a large and ever expanding family that she loved, mentored, guided and nourished.

Mary Lib was predeceased by her husband, Bob; mother and father, sister Cynthia Allen Duncan; and brother, William Marion Allen, Jr.

She is survived by her daughters, Beth LeGrande (Dick) and Jane Youngblood (Eddie), and son Bob Wood (Susan); grandchildren, Dixon LeGrande (Jackie), Marion Hindman (Jeff), Robert LeGrande (Laura), Katherine Horton (Brent), Robert Wood (Catherine), Cynthia Kelly (Nate), Molly Logan (Drew), Allen Wood (Joycee); great-grandchildren, Spencer and Jackson LeGrande, Dean and Allen Hindman, Lily Cate LeGrande, Fletcher and Audrey Horton, Thomas and James Wood, Hobson and Sawyer Kelly, Andrew and Pressley Logan, and Mac Wood.

A funeral service will be held at Edenton Street United Methodist Church at 2:00 pm on Thursday, January 11th. The family will receive friends following the service at the church. Burial will be private.

The family would like to thank the MSICU Physicians and Staff of Rex Hospital for their care and compassion.

In lieu of flowers, the family request memorial donations to the Mary Lib Wood Endowment for the Visual and Performing Arts at N.C State, Campus P.O. Box 7306, Raleigh, NC 27695; Edenton Street United Methodist Church, 228 West Edenton Street, Raleigh, NC 27603; and The Springmoor Endowment Fund, 1500 Sawmill Road, Raleigh, NC 27615.

Arrangements by Brown-Wynne Funeral Home, Saint Mary's St., Raleigh, NC.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Memories and Condolences
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Sponsored by Brown-Wynne Funeral Home & Crematory.

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Not sure what to say?

January 22, 2018

Timothy Tew

Hello, I met Mrs. Wood when I put up a sign that we lost our black and white cat just after moving onto Transylvania. When she found out I owned an art gallery in Atlanta, she invited me in to see some of the art she had. She was delightful and a real personality. I was very moved by her warmth, openness and kindness. I'm thinking about her family and friends at this time. Timothy Tew

January 17, 2018

Dawn Garner

Mary Lib and I would often be at Prentiss Prevett's at the same time to have our hair done.

Over the years of those visits, I came to adore her and her stories, and tremendous sense of style, humor, and class.

Mary Lib is the last of the 'great Southern ladies' and in my mind's eye I can see her hosting parties in her heavenly home.

January 11, 2018

Family

Carl Patterson

This woman was the very definition of class, elegance, warmth, and genuine kindness.. We will miss her... My Thoughts, and prayers to her family....

Posted by Carl Patterson

January 11, 2018

Dida Parrott

Mary Lib was a wonder! I loved to see that marvelous smile and will miss her.

January 11, 2018

Beth and Jane,
So sorry to learn of Mary Lib's passing. We will always cherish her sense of humor and bright outlook on life. What a pleasure to have known her. Our love to you and your family for your great loss.
Jack and Pat Reed

January 11, 2018

May God's Loving Kindness comfort you and help you through this sad times. Psalms 29:11

January 10, 2018

Nicci O'Brien

Mary Lib will be missed tremendously by her friends at Zest Cafe. She was such a beautiful, fashionable, sweet lady. Always quick with a compliment and a smile, she brought a lot of light and laughter with her, certainly wherever she went. Lunchtimes won't be the same without her and we will always think fondly on her memory. My condolences to her family and friends.

January 10, 2018

Donna Scott

Jane, I never met your mom, but she surely seems to have been quite the character. I understand now why you are so beautiful! Please accept my sincere sympathy. I still remember that Eddie came to my mother's visitation during a pretty severe ice storm....I did so appreciate that. Love to you and your family, Donna Ruth Ennis Scott, Lake Waccamaw, DHS Class of '67

January 10, 2018

Judy Calhoun

I got to know Mary Lib at Zest Cafe. We always talked a little, sometimes more. She was a delightful, smart woman and always looked amazing. I will miss her. My sympathy to all of the family for your loss.

January 9, 2018

Jane, Beth and family--your mother was such an amazing woman!!! She was beautiful, vibrant and acted twenty years younger than her age!!! And, she always greeted me with a smile and remembered my name. How blessed you all are that she graced your lives for 93 years and left you with a beautiful legacy. My heartfelt condolences to you all!!! Mary Webb Baggett

January 9, 2018

Jeanene Bowman

Dear Wood Family, please know our thoughts and prayers are with you. We enjoyed being around Mary Lib so much. She was such a vibrant, loving, caring, "young" lady! She always had a very interesting story to tell and oh my, that laugh and smile! We have many fond memories of her when visiting with our grandchildren (Propsts). One of my favorite memories is when we were at the beach when Lillian was three months! I can still see her, Bill, my mother and I just sitting on the couch watching Lillian for what seemed like hours. You would have thought this was the most beautiful child ever! She had so much love to share and she did, not only with her family, but ours as well. We are so blessed to have known her. God Bless all of you.

Jerry and Jeanene Bowman

January 9, 2018

Marybeth Foley

Dixon, Your grandmother sounds like a lovely lady who treasured her family and community. May your heart soon be filled with wonderful memories of joyful times together as you celebrate a life well lived.

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Memorial Events
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Jan

11

Visitation

Edenton Street United Methodist Church

228 West Edenton Street, Raleigh, NC

Jan

11

Funeral service

2:00 p.m.

Edenton Street United Methodist Church

228 West Edenton Street, Raleigh, NC

Funeral services provided by:

Brown-Wynne Funeral Home & Crematory

300 Saint Mary's Street, Raleigh, NC 27605

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