Mary Peddy Jordan

Mary Peddy Jordan, beloved mother, grandmother, aunt and friend, passed away during the morning hours of Memorial Day, May 27, 2024 in Athens, Georgia. She was 90 years old.

Born in Macon, Georgia, Mary was the only child of Julian Eldridge Peddy and Mary Hudson Peddy. Having moved to Atlanta at a young age, she learned to roller skate on Peachtree Street and discovered her love of films and live performances from her many visits to the Fox Theatre. Her father’s death occurring when she was 9 years of age, Mary often spoke of her affection and admiration for the actor John Wayne, seeing in him the calm masculinity of a father-figure.

Mary graduated from Grady High School and attended Alabama Polytechnic Institute (Auburn University), later joining Delta Airlines in Atlanta as a flight attendant. Her friends arranged a blind date for her with Charles C. Jordan (Charlie) of Washington, Georgia. Charlie’s courtship of Mary was finalized upon his meeting her at the airport to propose, asking her to “Please put this ring on your finger and never take if off”. During this time flight attendants were required to be single, so she quit her job, choosing her love of Charlie over her love of flying. They married on December 17, 1955 at Ponce De Leon Baptist Church in Atlanta.

After living in Decatur and then Nashville, Charlie convinced his city girl to move to his hometown in 1961.  Mary thrived with Charlie in small-town Washington, making many life-long friends while raising their three children. She worked several jobs, notably in pharmacy and eye-care practices, as well running her own ladies’ shoe store. Her passions were many:  singing in the choir at First Baptist Church of Washington, serving reading programs to fight adult illiteracy, traveling with Charlie, fishing with her father-in-law, playing golf at Washington-Wilkes Country Club and serving in the Washington Little Theatre Company, cast in many roles for local plays and productions.  She served as a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Mary was an avid and astute sports fan, mostly for her Braves, as well as Auburn, Georgia Tech and Georgia Southern. And for those that knew and loved her well, who could forget her love of cats? 😊

Mary is survived by her three children:  Chuck Jordan and his wife Sarah, of Athens, Tommy Jordan and his wife Missy, of Statesboro, and Julie Milam and her husband Tim, of Norcross.

Her 7 grandchildren that she cherished will miss her:  Joe, Maggie and Sadie, Candler and Jolee, and Mary Grace and Ellie.

The family expresses deepest gratitude to the staff at Wesley Woods of Athens/Talmage Terrace for their devoted and skilled care of Mary over the last several years.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, June 1st at First Baptist Church of Washington, Georgia at 11:00 a.m. The address is 105 W. Robert Toombs Ave. All are welcome to join the lunch served in the fellowship hall immediately following the service.

In lieu of flowers, donations are welcomed to the Wesley Woods Foundation (www.wesleywoods.org) or the Washington-Wilkes Animal Shelter (www.washingtonwilkesanimalshelter.org)