Marie Webb Faulkner went to be with her Lord on December 16, 2022 following an extended illness. Marie was born August 18, 1943 in New Holland, Georgia, the daughter of John Arthur Webb (Dutch) and Estelle Jenkins Webb. She attended New Holland Elementary School and is a 1961 graduate of East Hall High School. She later attended Brenau University graduating in 1966 with a degree in Physical Education. She later received a Master of Education from North Georgia College.
On November 23, 1964, she married her high school sweetheart, Jimmy Faulkner who she had dated for the past five years. In October of 1964, Jimmy began a career in Banking in Gainesville, Georgia and Marie began her career coaching Basketball, while still a college student. In 1967, she became the heads girls’ basketball coach at North Hall High School. At that time, she was one of only two women in North Georgia to hold that position. She remained in that position until May 1981. During her tenure, her teams became very successful and known throughout the area. In 1970, her North Hall girls made their first appearance in
school history in the state tournament in Macon, Georgia. During her 14 years of coaching, North Hall Lady Trojans had very successful teams winning the annual Lanierland Tournament three times as well as numerous sub-region Championships.
In 1981, Marie became the Lumpkin County High school girls’ basketball coach where over the next two years, she turned the Lady Indians into a very competitive team. After seven years absent from varsity basketball, she returned as an assistant coach of the Lumpkin County Indians Boys team for several more years. From the time Marie was a teenager until the early 2000s, she used her musical talent to honor her Lord Jesus Christ as a pianist and organist at West Gainesville Methodist Church and Riverbend Baptist Church in Gainesville, Georgia. In 1980, Marie and Jimmy along with their daughter Melissa and son Chris moved to Dahlonega, Georgia where Marie continued with her musical talents as the organist at Dahlonega Baptist Church. Marie always had a heart for serving others, especially children. She put her talents and gifts to work when she and a group ladies founded the Sonshine Weekday Preschool Ministry at Dahlonega Baptist Church. That ministry continues today and is blessed to currently serve 50
children each year ages 6 months to 5 years in a Christian environment. In 2013, Marie was the inspiration and motivation behind Jimmy and many other dedicated individuals in Dahlonega and Lumpkin County as they worked to establish “Jerimiah’s Place”; a ministry providing transitional housing for homeless families in Lumpkin County. The ministry continues to thrive today and has served more than 200 families in providing them temporary housing as well as instruction in multiple life skills in the areas of religion, parenting, finance, education, and generally how to live a better life.
In addition to her parents, Marie is preceded in death by her in-laws Hugh and Frances Faulkner, Her brother in-law Alton Pardue, her special longtime friend Judith Giles and numerous Aunts, Uncles, and Cousins.
She is survived by her husband Jimmy, daughter Melissa Faulkner McCoy (Tom), son Chris Faulkner (Daphney), grandsons James McCoy, Gus Faulkner, Cal Faulkner, granddaughter Christina McCoy, sister Sue W. Pardue, Niece Tina Pardue, Nephew Joe Pardue (Gail), great nephews David Pardue and John Pardue, and great niece Blakeley Bean, along with numerous cousins.
Visitation will be Sunday, December 18th from 2:30-4:30pm and 6:30-8:30pm at Dahlonega Funeral Home. Services will be on Monday, December 19 th at 2pm at Dahlonega Baptist Church with interment to follow at Dahlonega Memorial Park.
Dahlonega Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.
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