Mary Lane (Dudley) Purtill

Mary Lane Dudley Purtill passed away on May 17, 2024 in Columbus, NC.

She was born the youngest of four daughters to the late Reverend Alfred Kelley Dudley and Frances Traver Dudley in Wilmington, NC on October 20, 1945 and graduated from Concord High School in Concord, NC in 1943. As a child, she loved walking the beach with her father and collecting seashells after storms. In 1967, she graduated from Mary Baldwin College with a degree in history. Mary Lane taught school in Concord where she met the love of her life, the late Allan Purtill, Sr. They married on September 28, 1968. Al and Mary Lane moved around the United States with his work, residing in Detroit, MI, Atlanta, GA, Jacksonville, FL, West Lafayette, IN, Memphis, TN, and Richland, WA. In 1987, they returned to Charlotte, where she lived until a recent move to Columbus to be closer to family. After dedicating much of her adult life to raising her family, Mary Lane returned to school at UNC Greensboro where she received her Masters in Library Science. Afterward, she had a long career as a school librarian with Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools at McClintock Middle School and Providence High School, winning the Gertrude Cowan Award for Excellence as a media specialist. A lifelong Presbyterian, she was an active member of a church in every community she lived, and was a dedicated member of Carmel Presbyterian Church for over thirty-five years. At Carmel, she sang in the choir and served as an elder. She was an excellent teacher of Sunday School and Bible Studies, teaching people of all ages. Mary Lane was also a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

Mary Lane is survived by her four children: Sheila Purtill (Mike Hill), Sabra Purtill (Andrew Vest), Traver Poston (Dave), and Allan Purtill (Jenny). She is also survived by four adored grandchildren: Nicholas Brinkmann, Rhena Brinkmann, Syler Purtill and James Purtill, as well as her sister Frances Calcote and brother-in-law Cal Calcote, many nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews, two step-granddaughters, and a step-great grandson.

A memorial service will be held at Carmel Presbyterian Church (2048 Carmel Rd, Charlotte) at 2:00 pm on Tuesday, May 28.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Carmel Presbyterian Church at https://www.carmellife.org/.

Sanders Funeral Home.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Mary Lane (Dudley) Purtill, please visit our floral store.