Mary Lou Catorra Burns McKee, age 92 of Pinehurst, NC died on Monday, July 13, 2026 at Richmond County Hospice Haven in Rockingham, NC.
She was born on August 25,1933 in Marion Center, PA to the late Ward Burns and Mae Butterbaugh Burns. Mary married James Steele McKee of Marion Center May 10, 1953. She is survived by their only daughter, Debra Mae Jepson and husband George of Rockingham, NC; three grandchildren, Ryan James Schulte a retired Army officer of Fries, VA, Christie Anne Schulte, a pharmaceutical chemist of Boulder, CO, Catorra Leigh Schulte, a Nurse Practitioner of Galax, VA and one great granddaughter, Haley Madaleine Marie Schulte of Fries, VA, four sisters, Darlene Sugar of Michigan, , Janet Brown of California, Joann Reed and Dianna Burns of Marion Center PA.
Mary traveled the world with her husband living in Frankfurt Germany and Yokohama Japan where her talent rendered two three foot tall collector handmade Geisha Girls and one Samurai Warrior, retained in individual glass cases today. Mary worked in retail for almost 30 years in military exchanges overseas and retired from K-Mart here in the US. Mary was an active member of Southern Pines VFW ladies Auxiilary, the Elk Does, the Eastern Star Chapter 259 Aberdeen NC, did volunteer work for Moore Regional Hospital of Pinehurst, and Habitat for Humanity. She gave generously to research foundations for Heart, Alzheimers, Cancer and to Shriners Children’s Hospital, St. Jude’s and Wounded Warriors.
A celebration of life by the family will be held on Tuesday, August 4 th at 1pm in the East Mahoning Cemetery in Clymer, PA. Flowers may be sent to the Rairigh-Bence Funeral Home, 965 Philadelphia St, in Indiana, PA 15701. Memorial contributions can be made to the OES Service Dog Project care of Aberdeen Chapter 259 Order of the Eastern Star, 100 Wallace St., Hamlet, NC 28345.
Online condolences may be left by visiting www.rbfh.net.
