Mary Runnels of Starkville was born Mary Anastasia Manglass in Doodletown, NY. She peacefully left us on May 7, 2020 at the age of 99 years and nine months.
Reared the youngest of seventeen children, Mary was first-generation Italian American. She met and married Ray Runnels at West Point, New York in 1944. They were married for 60 years until his death in 2004. During their marriage, Ray and Mary lived in New York, Japan, Germany and Georgia, before settling down with their family in Starkville. After becoming a mother, Mary became a powerhouse of a “Mama”, having borne five children in six years (with a sixth child to follow years later). During the child-rearing years, Mary stayed at home with the children, then returned to work as secretary at St. Joseph Catholic Church, then at the Starkville Housing Authority until her retirement.
Throughout her life, Mary was involved in charitable endeavors, always being willing to “give the shirt off her back” to anyone who needed it. She founded and ran the volunteer-based Clothing Room at St. Joseph for years until the building in which it was housed burned. She was also active in the St. Joseph Women’s Auxiliary. Her children’s friends will remember her for having an open-door policy at the family’s home, performing fishes-and-loaves miracles with hamburgers and fries on Saturday nights – all were welcome!
Mary always said she would live to one hundred years, and she almost made it. She is preceded in death by her husband Ray and her son Tom. Survivors include daughters Elizabeth “Liz” Rook (Peter), Pat Wilkes and Barbara Coats (Eddie), all of Starkville; sons Kenny Runnels (Theresa) of Starkville and Jim Runnels (Aimee) of Hoover, AL; twelve grandchildren, and nineteen great-grandchildren. She is also survived by her loving roommate, Elizabeth Dunn, and her dear friend Melody Klaskala. The Runnels family wishes to thank the staff of The Carrington Nursing Center, Dr. Jack Hollister, nurse Halie Hagler, and nurse practitioner Angela Owens. Special thanks goes to nurse James Booth, without whose loving actions we would not have been able to spend some of our Mama’s last hours with her.
The Runnels family will honor our mother at a family-only graveside service on Saturday, May 9. Friends will be invited to a memorial service will be held at a later date.
Because our mama isn’t here to enjoy flowers, she would want any gifts in her honor be made to St. Joseph Catholic Church, or to Starkville Area Habitat for Humanity.
