Mary McNew

Mary Alice M. McNew CHESAPEAKE - Mary Alice McCready McNew, 83, died Monday, Aug. 10, 2009, at her home in Chesapeake. The only child of Mavis Hatfield and Sanders Oury McCready, Mary A. was born in Bluefield, W.Va., April 9, 1926. Afflicted with childhood polio, Mary A. refused to let it hinder her, and took dance classes to strengthen her legs. Mary A.'s family relocated during the Depression to Glade Spring, in Washington County, Virginia, and Glade Spring became the place she always afterward considered home. There, she met the man who would become her husband, Charles Grant McNew Jr. of Bristol, Tenn. Charles served as a staff sergeant in England and France during World War II, and sent Mary A. a steady stream of love letters and gifts from Europe. Upon his return from the war, Charles married Mary A. and moved to Portsmouth, where they remained happily together until Charles's death in 1994. Mary A. is survived by a son, Charles Sanders McNew; his wife, Melanie King McNew; a granddaughter, Maeve Lawson McNew; a soon-to-be-born grandson, Charles Grant McNew III; and dearest friend and companion, Sallie Elliott. Mary A. was a strong woman who lived life and left life on her own terms. The family will receive friends Tuesday, Aug. 18, beginning at noon at Snellings Funeral Home, George Washington Highway Chapel. A funeral will be held Tuesday at 2 p.m. in Meadowbrook Memorial Gardens. Condolences may be offered to the family at www.snellingsfuneralhome.com.