July 20, 1927 –

Feb. 18, 2013

Mary Rives Heard, (Mrs. John H.), 85, of Smyrna, Ga., died Monday, Feb. 18, 2013, in Atlanta, Ga., after a short but valiant fight with cancer. Mrs. Heard was a long-time resident of Albany, Ga., and Bainbridge.

Visitation will be held at 10 a.m., Saturday, Feb. 23, 2013, at Monroe County Memorial Chapel, 86 West Main Street, Forsyth, Ga., with the funeral to follow at 11 a.m. in the Forsyth City Cemetery. The Rev. Wendy Joyner will officiate.

A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m., Friday, Feb. 22, 2013, at Kimbell-Stern Funeral Home, 1503 Dawson Road, Albany.

Mrs. Heard was born July 20, 1927, in Forsyth, to the late Norfleet Williamson and Bessie King Rives. Mary was a well-known Realtor in the Albany area. She began her career in 1977 and joined Albany Realty Company in 1980 and remained there until her retirement in 2011, serving as their sales manager for a number of years.

She served her profession diligently by being an active member of the Albany Board of Realtors serving that organization as president and receiving numerous professional awards including lifetime member of the Million Dollar Club, Realtor of the Year, Board of Realtors award for Professionalism as well as the Albany Board of Realtors Realtor of the Year Management Award. Mrs. Heard was a member of St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church in Albany.

Preceded in death by her husband of 47 years, John Hardeman Heard, Mrs. Heard is survived by two daughters, Marsha Heard of Atlanta, and Lillian Heard Johnson (William) of Millbrook, N.Y.; two sons, Steven Heard (Cheryl) of Waterford, Conn., and Mark Heard (Belinda) of Albany, Ga.; grandchildren, Julia W. Bonato (Guiseppe), of Surprise, Ariz., Russell Wilson (Jan), of Wasilla, Alaska, Amanda Abel (Shawn), of Cincinnati, Ohio, Allison Sahl (Dan), of Las Vegas, Nev., Adam Heard (Leigh), of Leesburg, Ga., Cameron Heard (Kitty), of Ann Arbor, Mich., and William Leggat, of Millbrook; nine great-grandchildren, John Wilson, Brandon and Madison Smith, Abigail and Rylee Wilson, Kyleigh and Aiden Heard, Lily Bonato and Cater Sahl; and a half-brother, Dr. N.W. Rives (Lucy Frontera) of Cincinnati.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations to your favorite charity.

Monroe County Memorial Chapel of Forsyth has charge of arrangements.