Mary Blair

Mary Ellen Pegg Blair was born on May 23, 1929 in Baltimore, Maryland, where she lived until 2002 when she settled on the Eastern Shore. She is the mother of four children: Peggy Bailey and her husband Peter of Massachusetts, Linda Gibson of Massachusetts, Wayne Gibson and his wife Fran of Mt. Airy and David Gibson and his wife Gretchen of Brooklyn Park. Mary Ellen adored her four grandchildren (Jessica, Katrina, Paige and Kenny) and four great-grandchildren (Lainey, Cody, Kylie and Lilly). Mary Ellen was raised in the Nazarene church and was deeply religious. She could often be found praying for veterans and the homeless as well as playing church hymns on her piano, which she learned to play by ear at the age of four. She loved the holidays, especially Thanksgiving and Christmas. She enjoyed decorating a tree in every room and buying ornaments for her family and friends. She also loved the rain in summer and the snow in winter as times to cozy up with a bowl of homemade soup. She had a deep appreciation of good food and enjoyed experimenting with cooking. Another hobby was collecting dolls, and at one time her collection was extensive. Mary Ellen never forgot people who treated her well. She was quite the "pen pal" sending about 350 cards and notes each year. Once you were on her list, you could expect to hear from her nearly every holiday. She felt it was her calling in Life to comfort others. Mary Ellen passed away on April 1, 2016 after complications from a fall. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, April 16, 2016 at 4:00 pm at The River Church of the Nazarene in Berlin, Maryland. Mary Ellen was a strong supporter of Diakonia Shelter for the Homeless (diakoniaoc.org). Donations can be made in her name in lieu of flowers. Letters of condolence may be sent to the family at www.burbagefuneralhome.com