Mary Foye Perry Huhta

1936 - 2016

Mary Foye Perry Huhta

Mary Foye Perry Huhta, of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, died unexpectedly on May 27, 2016 in Singer Island, Florida at the age of 79. Mary is survived by her husband, James Kenneth Huhta of Murfreesboro; daughter Rebecca Foye Duke (and husband Thorsten Sven Krenz) of Plymouth, Massachusetts and Berlin, Germany; daughter Mary Suzanne Payson (and husband Charles Sherwood Payson) of Jupiter, Florida; and granddaughters Olivia Perry Payson and Catherine Whitney Payson of Jupiter, Florida. She is also survived by her sisters Elizabeth Jane Lavernoich of Winsted, Connecticut and Anne Perry Ford of Claremont, California, and many nieces and nephews.

She is preceded in death by her father Arthur Wesley Perry, her mother Anna Rebecca Potterfield Perry, and her brother Arthur William Perry.

Mary was born September 20, 1936, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She graduated from Newton High School in Newton, Massachusetts in 1954. She attended Baldwin Wallace College in Berea, Ohio, where she met her husband Jim, and graduated in 1958. She and Jim were married in Newton on December 28, 1958. After living for several years in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and working as an elementary school teacher, Mary moved to Murfreesboro with her husband in 1965 and she lived there until her death.

Mary was very active in local civic affairs in Murfreesboro, including her election to the City Council 1982 (the first woman ever elected to the position), serving until 1994. She served on numerous other commissions and boards, including, among others, the Murfreesboro Multi-Purpose Recreation Facility Commission, which is the group that guided the design and construction of the facility that later became Sports*Com, a role of which she was particularly proud. She was an active member of the League of Women Voters for decades, including serving as the group's president. Mary was also a real estate agent with Clark Maples Realty and Crye-Leike in Murfreesboro. Mary is remembered as a leader in the community, who made Murfreesboro a better place to live.

In addition to civic affairs, Mary enjoyed gardening in her perennial garden, decorating and design, and was an active and dedicated member of St. Mark's United Methodist Church. Above all, she loved spending time with her daughters and their families.

A funeral service is scheduled for Wednesday, June 8 at 10:00 a.m. at St. Mark's United Methodist Church in Murfreesboro, Tennessee with a reception to follow at the church. All are welcome to attend and celebrate Mary's life. A private burial will follow at Evergreen Cemetery in Murfreesboro. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations may be made in Mary's name to the St. Mark's United Methodist Church Endowment Fund.