Mary Capps Shearin

Mary Gladys Capps Shearin September 22, 1910 - January 12, 2012 Chapel Hill, NC Mary Gladys Capps Shearin died Thursday at Carolina Meadows after a brief illness. She had lived there for over 20 years. She was born September 22, 1910, in Arcola, NC, the oldest daughter of Robert Lewis Capps and Beulah Gupton Capps. She graduated from Louisburg College in 1929 and taught in Vaughn for one year. In 1931 she and Paul Edmondson Shearin were married in Columbus, Ohio. They moved from there to Rocky Mount, NC, before moving to Chapel Hill in 1936 for a temporary job that turned into a very long-term commitment to UNC-Chapel Hill and community that they loved. They enjoyed almost 69 years of married life until Paul's death in 2000. She is survived by her son, Ronald L. Shearin and his wife Roma of Chapel Hill, and a daughter Jane Shearin Caviness and her husband Bob of Winston-Salem. Four dearly loved grandchildren also survive: Daun Shearin Whitley (John) of Chapel Hill, R. Derek Shearin (Lisa) of Cary, Tanya Shearin of Chapel Hill, and Kristen Caviness Sihler (Edward) of Portland, Maine. She is also survived by four beloved great grandchildren: Zachary Whitley of Arlington, VA, Nicole and Victoria Whitley of Chapel Hill, and Sterling Margrave of Chapel Hill. Her sister, Patsy Capps Harris (James) of Norfolk, VA, also survives. There are many nieces and nephews who were an important part of her extended family. She was pre-deceased by six siblings: Clarence Capps, R. Glenn Capps, Bessie Capps Liles, Kathleen Capps Barham, Edith Capps Hilliard, and Margaret Capps Brown as well as her parents. She will be especially remembered for her love of family and cooking. Cooking for family was the ultimate combination. She was happiest when she was doing for others. There will be a memorial service Sunday at 2 PM at University Baptist Church in Chapel Hill where she had been a member for over 70 years. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to a local food bank in memory of how she fed so many people through the years, or to the University Baptist Church Debt Retirement Fund.