Mary Castleman

Mary A. Castleman VIRGINIA BEACH - Mary Alder Castleman, 91, of the 2400 block of Spindrift Road, died June 16, 2010. Mary was born in Nashville, Tenn., Feb. 19, 1919. She was the daughter of the late Barney L. Alder Sr. and Inez Alder. Mary was preceded in death by her husband of 55 years, Albert Thomas Castleman. Mary is survived by a daughter, Gail Castleman Hilder of Belle Haven, Va., on the Eastern Shore; a son, Stanley Foster Castleman of Maryville, Tenn.; two grandchildren, Thomas Castleman and Zachery Castleman, both of Maryville; and several nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by two sisters, Miram "Tookie" Womack and Peggie Kyzer; and two brothers, Barney Alder Jr. and William Alder. Mary graduated from Hume Fogg High School in 1937 and then went on to graduate from Watkins Institute Secretarial School in 1939. Both schools were located in Nashville, Tenn. During World War II, Mary proudly joined the U.S. Navy on March 24, 1943 and served at the U.S. Naval Hospital in Chelsea, Mass. She later transferred to the U.S. Naval Wave Hospital School in Great Lakes, Ill., where she remained as a chief pharmacist mate a year after World War II, honorably discharged Aug. 27, 1946. Mary enjoyed sharing her experiences during the war with others. Before and after the war she worked at Life and Casualty Company of Tennessee as a medical stenographer and laboratory technician. Marrying Albert Thomas Castleman in 1950, the newlyweds moved to Norfolk, later moving to Virginia Beach where they resided for more than 40 years. Albert worked with the Ford Motor Company as plant editor of their monthly newspaper and Mary was employed by DePaul Hospital and the U.S. Naval Supply Center until her retirement. Mary was a charter member of Women's Memorial Service and a member of the Broad Bay Garden Club and Civic League. Mary was loving and kind to all and a devoted and wonderful mother and wife. She enjoyed gardening and most of all walking down Spindrift using her famous walking strider sticks. A funeral will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Great Neck Baptist Church with Pastor Todd Holt officiating. Burial will follow in Princess Anne Memorial Park. The family will receive friends at Hollomon-Brown Funeral Home, Great Neck Chapel, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday. Memorial donations may be made to the American Heart Association or the American Diabetes Association. Condolences may be offered to the family at www.hollomon-brown.com.