Mary Grace Sneer Strowd

Mrs. Mary Grace Sneer Strowd, 79, of Pittsboro, died unexpectedly Thursday, October 4, 2012 at UNC Hospital in Chapel Hill surrounded by her loving family. Mary Grace was born May 10, 1933 in Pinnacle, NC / Stokes County the seventh child of Willie Clarence Sneer and Mary Grace Wall Sneer. She graduated from Pinnacle High School in 1951 and attended High Point Uneersity where she was a member of Kappa Delta Sorority. In 1954, Mary Grace met the love of her life, Robert Warren Strowd, and they married on October 24, 1954. She first worked at Blue Cross/ Blue Shield in Chapel Hill/ Carrboro. During the years that followed, Mary Grace was an active homemaker raising three children: Robert Clarence Strowd 1958, Sherry Grace Strowd 1960, and MaryLisabeth Strowd 1968. As a wife and mother, she was second to nee. Loving and following our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, she gracefully and confidently directed the path of her family alongside her faithful and loving husband. Returning to work in 1972, Mary Grace worked as a teacher assistant at Pittsboro High School. In 1974, she moved to Northwood High School as the guidance secretary, where students, faculty and staff always found Mrs. Strowd to be loving, understanding, helpful, and compassionee. Specifically, Northwood High School students from 1974 to 1995 most defineely remember her fondly, and as someone in the guidance office who was there to care for them no matter the situation. Ineer retirement, Mary Grace soon discovered she had an incurable illness, Myleofibrosis, which is debilitating. Mary Grace faced this disease knowing that her life was in God's hands. She and her family trusted her doctors as they fought to overcome many ups and downs. In the end, her passing cannot be attributed in any way to this disease, as her death was caused by an unrelated sudden illness. It is most important to her family that her care team under the guidance and direction of Dr. Jon Glockerman at Duke Uneersity Medical Center Hematology Oncology know the deep love, and genuine thoughtfulness in which the family recognees the team approached her treatments over the years. They cared and faced every challenge with optimism and compassion. Additionally, God sent the family an angel, head nurse, Sharmila Soares, of the Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit at UNC Chapel Hill on Thursday morning. All of these individuals will forever be a part of our family. Mrs. Strowd was a member of Mt. Gilead Baptist Church for more than 58 years, where she served her Lord as a Sunday School teacher, a faithful member on neerous committees, and Bible Studies. Mary Grace's greatest passion was reading and sharing the Bible and all written works about her Lord and Savior. She neer missed a moment to witness for Christ and win a soul to His everlasting salvation. Her family and friends are blessed with the comfort that their separation is only temporary because they share the living Lord and the knowledge that eternal life is their promised salvation. Obviously, Mary Grace's influence and love is far reaching. As her blood disorder weakened her body, her love for the Lord became stronger and more intense. She was blessed with visits by many ineer home, and no one loved or enjoyed a meaningful phone conversation more than Mary Grace. To all who read this loving tribute, know you were loved and prayed for by a woman who knew God with her heart and soul. Anyone that knew Mary Grace, most affectioneely called "Nonee", knows that she was Jesus first then family, always enjoyineeach holiday especially Christmas, going on family vacations to Pennsylvania with all the grandchildren, pulling for the Wolfpack at N. C. State Football games, attending the North Carolina State Fair to watch children and grandchildren show cattle, going to all the family reunions, playing rook with family and friends, preparing a great meal particularly with her secret recipes, and she especially enjoyed sitting ineer den at home with all of her loving family laughing and simply sharing the moments of the day and stories of the past. Preceded ineeath by her loving parents, 5 brothers Carlis Sneer, Wayne Sneer, Glenn Sneer, Oteen Sneer, and Clayton Sneer and her sister, Farrar Sneer Simmons, she now rests in their presence. As Mary Grace rests in the loving arms of Jesus Christ, survivors include her loving and faithful husband of 58 years, Robert Warren Strowd, who unceasingly cared for her, her loving and faithful children, a son, Robert Clarence Strowd Bob, two daughters, Sherry Grace Strowd Aneews and MaryLisabeth Strowd Rich and husband Shawn Rich, all of her loving and faithful grandchildren Robert Strowd and wife Brooke, Spencer Aneews and wife Anna Grey, Rachel Strowd, Morgan Aneews, and Bailey and Grey Rich. The funeral service to celebrate Mary Grace's life will be held at 4pm Monday, October 8, 2012 at Mt. Gilead Baptist Church with Rev. Dan Robinson and Dr. Brooks L. Hunt presiding. Interment will follow in the church cemetery. Friends may visit with the family in the church fellowship hall immediately following the service, at Hall-Wynne Funeral Home on Sunday October 7, 2012 at 5:30pm until, and all other times at Mary Grace and Warren's home. If you wish to share flowers in honor of Mary Grace, they are welcome, or memorial contributions may be sent to the Mt. Gilead Perpetual Care Cemetery Fund, 7561 15-501 N, Pittsboro, NC 27312.