Mary Stremanos

Mary Read Peckham Stremanos, 71, of Little Rock, passed away August 20, 2008 after a courageous battle against cancer. Born August 17, 1937 in Atlanta, Georgia, she was the beloved daughter of the late Dr. Joseph Charles and Mary Warren Read. She attended Randolph Macon College in Lynchburg, Virginia and graduated from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia in 1959. She lived in Little Rock for the past 32 years where she was an active member of St. James United Methodist Church. She recently retired after 23 years of service as a dedicated administrative assistant to the senior pastor, wedding coordinator and Pastoral Ministry caregiver.
Mary is survived by her husband, Harry Stremanos of Little Rock; two children, Joseph Byron Brooks, Jr. (Tiffany) of Rochester Hills, Michigan and Mary Elizabeth Mullee (Greg) of Apopka, Florida; four grandchildren, Brittany Elizabeth Mullee, Brandon Gregory Mullee, Warren Read Brooks and Robert Cashier Brooks; a sister, Sally Read Hammond (Dick) of Danville, Kentucky; two nieces, Ellen Hammond Davis (Bill) of Taylorsville, Kentucky and Martha Hammond Smith (Skip) of Lexington, Kentucky; and two cousins, J. E. Warren III (April) of Milton, Georgia and John S. Warren (Marsha) of Highlands, North Carolina.
A bright light in our family has been sadly dimmed, but that light lives on in Mary's children and grandchildren. They will now be evidence to her inner beauty and strength of character. Her love and devotion to them was shadowed only by her love for God, as she served Him faithfully. She will find eternal rest in Him now.
She had a gift for seeing the very best qualities in people and she dedicated her life to lending a hand to anyone in need. She would change the complexion of any room she entered - laughter seemed to follow her wherever she went. She has touched the lives of so many through the years and memories of her will sustain them now. Mary was quite simply the personification of life, love and laughter. Oh, how she will be missed.
Services will be held at St. James United Methodist Church in Little Rock at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, August 23, 2008, officiated by the Reverend Guy Whitney. Memorials may be made to St. James United Methodist Church, 321 Pleasant Valley Drive, Little Rock, AR 72212.
Arrangements by Little Rock Funeral Home, 8801 Knoedl Ct., Little Rock, (501)224-2200. Please visit Mary's online guestbook at www.littlerockfuneralhome.com.