Mary E. Stanley, 93, formerly of Rockingham, died peacefully in Wilmington, NC on November 8, 2009.  She was born Dec, 12, 1915 in Salisbury.  Funeral services will be conducted at noon on November 12, 2009 at St. James Catholic Church, Hamlet, with Father John Starczewski officiating.  Interment will follow at Eastside Cemetery.  Visitation will be at St. James Catholic Church one hour prior to the service.

Mrs. Stanley previously owned and operated the Rockingham Baking Company from 1946-1956.  As of 2009 she had been the owner of Lady Mary, Inc. for 58 years from which evolved from a dream and an idea of the Lady Mary Dainty Board; a fancy corrugated board with pleated ribbon that goes under a decorated cake.  Millions of decorated cakes have embellished her idea.  In 1961 Mrs. Stanley received an order from a bakery in Hartford, CT to make a 7X10 foot dainty board in red/white/blue ribbon for President John F. Kennedy’s 44th birthday.  The dainty board was to accommodate a 4,000 pound three-tiered cake, capped with a miniature White House to be attended by 6,000 people.  By far, this was the largest cake board produced by Lady Mary.

She was the first woman to be elected to the Bakers’ Association of the Carolinas of which she was Secretary for many years.  She has also been President of St. James Catholic Church Altar Society, First Vice President of BPW and President of the Morning Hour Home Demonstration Club.  She enjoyed dancing at the Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Charlotte which she had won multiple awards in ballroom dancing.

She was the daughter of the late Peter and Constance Scase Endres of Rockingham.  In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Ralph C. Stanley of Rockingham and a sister, Catherine Cotton of California.

Survivors include two daughters, Mrs. Kitzie (Ken) Snead of Wilmington and Mrs. Ann (Glenn) Eubanks of Rockingham; seven grandchildren and two great grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Lower Cape Fear Hospice and Life Care Center, 1406 Physicians Drive, Wilmington, NC 28401 or St. James Catholic Church, 1018 West Hamlet Avenue, Hamlet, NC 28345.

Funeral arrangements are by Watson-King Funeral Home, Rockingham, NC.  Condolences may be made online at www.watson-kingfuneralhome.com.  

- Paid obituary