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Mary Turner Burch, 88, of Bainbridge, passed away Thursday, April 4, 2024. 

The funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, April 9, 2024, at First United Methodist Church with Rev. Melissa Traver officiating. Interment will follow at Roselawn Memory Gardens with her grandchildren serving as active pallbearers.

The family will receive friends from 6:00 until 7:00 p.m. on Monday, April 8, 2024, at Bryant Funeral Home Chapel. Online visitors may sign the guest register at www.bryantfuneralga.com. Memorial donations may be made to First United Methodist Church, PO Box 541, Bainbridge, GA 39818. 

Mary Lenell Turner was born April 21, 1935, in Hartford, AL, the daughter of Joseph & Trudell Ross Turner. She was a graduate of Hartford High School, Class of 1953. Mary married Charles Robert Burch in 1957, and in 1958, they made the move to Bainbridge. She retired from the ASCS office where she was the go-to for federal programs. Mary was an active member of First United Methodist Church serving in many capacities including the Clark-Morris Circle of United Methodist Women and the Dewberry-Forrester Sunday School Class. 

Mary was a genuine person with a heart of gold. She cared for others in a variety  of ways. She texted encouraging words on difficult days, sent cards for birthdays, donated to worthwhile causes, slipped extra cash to those she thought could use it, prepared meals, and prayed sincerely for family and friends. Hair appointments on Thursday were priority in the “dress to the nines” scheme. Rarely did you catch her without a full set of jewelry to complete the ensemble.

In her younger days, Mary was the pitcher for the softball team. Her competitive spirit spilled over to her days at Curves, where you could find her every day it was open leaving younger people gasping to keep up. She was a top fan of the Bainbridge Bearcats, Atlanta Braves, and Georgia Bulldogs. Throughout the years, many thought Mary was tagging along with Charles…complete myth; Mary was the sports fanatic. Her colorful commentary, armchair coaching, and complete belief if the coaches would just listen to her ideas resulted in many discussions with her children.

She was a proud supporter of everything local. Mary & Charles made the weekly lunch circuit like clockwork: Tuesday—Pizza Hut and Thursday—Dairy Queen with Yesterday’s Diner sprinkled in. Her Facebook account became the vehicle for keeping up with the goings on of family & friends. Regularly she commented on posts maintaining her reputation of being in the know and inspiring others.

Survivors include her children, Terri & Jackie Fleetwood and Greg Burch, all of Bainbridge; her grandchildren, Ben & Morgan, Marc & Morgan, Sarah & Chad, and John & Allie; and her great-grandchildren, Brooks, Bryce, Andrew, Sam, Stella Grace, and Harper. In addition to her parents, Mary was preceded in death by her husband of 62 years, Charles Burch; her siblings, Cleveland Turner and Betty Lou Hatfield; and her daughter-in-law, Pam Burch. 

Bryant Funeral Home, located at 105 N. Florida Street, is assisting the family with arrangements. (229-246-3321)