Mary Louise Cunney, nee Beall, 96, of Raleigh, NC, died on August 24, 2019 at Springmoor Health Center after a brief decline in health. Mary Lou was born in Washington, DC on August 10, 1923, daughter of the late John Andrew Beall and Mildred Chesley Lauder.

After graduating from Washington & Lee High School, Mary Lou attended Mary Washington College for one year. She began a career, first in banking and then as a legal secretary.

Mary Lou married Eugene (Gene) Cunney on October 23, 1948. Their courtship included dancing under the stars at the Washington Canoe Club on the Potomac River. The majority of Gene’s career was as an accountant with the Army and Air Force Motion Picture Service and, as a consequence, Gene and Mary Lou lived and traveled over much of the world. Residences included Springfield, Virginia, Wiesbaden, Germany, Arlington, Texas and Honolulu, Hawaii.

On Gene’s retirement they moved to Annapolis, Maryland, where Mary Lou completed an AA degree in medical technology at Anne Arundel Community College with a perfect record of As. Seeking warmer weather, they retired a second time to Siesta Key, Florida and later, a third time to Wilmington, North Carolina. They shared a love of the beach, sailing, boating, bridge, traveling, reading and playing golf. Mary Lou also enjoyed entertaining, cooking, crafts, art, music, solving puzzles, jogging, water aerobics and volunteering.

Mary Lou’s volunteerism started during WWII, wrapping bandages and making supplies to be sent overseas. In Germany, she was a “Gray Lady” at the local armed forces hospital, helping patients and nurses. The term comes from the color of the apron the volunteers wore. In Florida she volunteered in the medical community to help low income clients get health care. Well into her 80s, Mary Lou volunteered at Catholic Parish Outreach, which is the largest Triangle Area food bank. Mary Lou had a tender heart and respected all who needed assistance.

Mary Lou was preceded in death by her parents, her husband of 54 years, Gene, and her brother, John Andrew (Evelyn) Beall.

Mary Lou is survived by her daughter, Christine, and husband James Mills of Raleigh. She is also survived by nieces Anne Cunney, Pamela (David) Faust, Georgann Cunney, Margaret Vanwormer, Susan Sheldon, nephew William (Jan) Stevens, god-daughter Kathy (William) House, and many cousins, great and great-great nieces and nephews.

Funeral services will be held at Saint Raphael Catholic Church, 5801 Falls of Neuse Road, Raleigh, 27609 on Friday, September 6, 2019. Visitation with the family will begin at 11 a.m. and the funeral mass will be held at noon in the Chapel, followed by the commitment prayers at the Columbarium. All are invited to fellowship and light refreshments in the Lewis Room after the service.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Mary Lou’s memory to Catholic Parish Outreach, https://www.cporaleigh.org/ or the Springmoor Endowment Fund, https://springmoor.org/2016/09/the-springmoor-endowment-fund/ or your favorite cause.

The family would like to extend a special thanks to the doctors, staff and caregivers at Springmoor, Transitions Hospice, and Mary Lou’s devoted home health aide, Marcy Spruill.