Mary was born in Stroud on 15th July 1942, the 5th of 6 children. A severe illness as a baby nearly cost her life and left her with some learning difficulties. She grew up in Summer Street, Stroud along with her siblings Dorothy, Joy, Ron, David and her younger sister Beryl. She was particularly close to Beryl, and the pair were inseparable, Beryl describing her as her ‘shadow’. Beryl recalls how they would go to the woods with a pram to collect wood for the fire, befriending a nearby dog, who ended up spending more time with them than at home!
Mary was very much part of family life. As her nieces Kelly, Sarah and Kim say, Aunty Mary was just always there, a sort of older sister come second mum. She had a great sense of fun and loved to see others enjoying themselves. She also adored the family dogs, Star and Luna, and never tired of repeating stories about their antics.