Mary Louise Hulsey

Mary Louise Hulsey

On February 18, 2020, Gainesville bid farewell to one of its most respected and devoted musical matriarchs. After 92 years of sharing her love of history and singing with generations of children and adults, Mary Louise Hulsey joined her Lord Jesus Christ and her beloved husband John Burl Hulsey in heaven on a Tuesday evening. She passed at her home, surrounded by her children and grandchildren.

Mary Louise, daughter of the late Bertha Williams and William ‘Fred’ Durrett, was born March 31, 1927, and raised in Asheville, NC and later moved to Savannah, GA, where, at age 17, she sang as a paid soloist at Bull Street Baptist Church while studying at Brewton Parker College in Mount Vernon, Georgia and Savannah’s Draughton Business College. In 1945, an impressed Rev. Henry Stokes of Gainesville’s First Baptist Church overheard Mary while visiting Bull Street, and welcomed her to Gainesville as a youth choir director and secretary a week later. She spent her next 65 years serving the church with her vibrant spirit and mezzo-soprano timbre in Handel’s “Messiah,” “Elijah,” Beethoven’s “9th Symphony,” and Haydn’s “The Seven Last Words of Christ” as the Children’s Choir Director, Educational Director and pianist for the Angler’s Sunday school class.

Mary Louise and her faithful husband of over 61 years, a Navy pilot who pioneered the first guided drone technology during World War II, also met at First Baptist Church. They raised five children to make a joyful noise in the home John Burl built on Blue Ridge Drive, where they lived together until 2009. Mary would sing her signature solo of “Ave Maria” at over 12 family weddings and baptisms throughout the years.

Mary Louise’s voice resounded far beyond church walls as she invested her boundless energy into performing arts programs across Gainesville. During the 50s and 60s, she and long-time friend, Martha Stratton, serenaded listeners to the Three Dreamers radio show with original numbers and pop classics and later performed together at various venues across Georgia. Throughout her life, Mary never failed to use her talent to seed artistic potential throughout her community, serving as the coordinator of Lakeshore Mall’s “Lighting of the Tree” production, charter member of the Gainesville Chorale and 20th Century Study Club and a performer in the Brewton Parker Glee Club and College Trio among other organizations. In light of her contributions to Gainesville’s musical legacy, she was also appointed to a seat on the town’s Arts Council.

Mary Louise’s love of history, travel, and art led her to countries far afield, including China, Canada, Spain, France, and the United Kingdom.

Mary Louise was preceded in death by her husband, John Burl, brother, William “Bill” Durrett, Sr., and daughter, Carolyn Hulsey Fernandez. She will be truly missed by Carolyn’s husband Segundo Fernandez and second wife Bobbie Fernandez of Tallahassee, FL, son, John Jr. and wife, Cinda Hulsey of Gainesville, GA, son, David Hulsey of Tallahassee, FL, daughter, Beth and husband, Gerald Carlson of Lafayette, LA, son, Wes and wife, Kathy Hulsey of Greenville, SC, 19 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren, and Mehdi (Brenda) Zariei, referred to Mary Louise, as his American Mom.

Celebration of Life service will be held 3:30 pm Sunday, February 23, 2020 at The Chapel of First Baptist Church of Gainesville. Interment will be at Alta Vista Cemetery, prior to the service. The family will receive friends following the service at the church.

In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made to the First Baptist Church of Gainesville Music Building Fund 751 Green Street Gainesville, GA 30501.

The family would like to thank the caregivers of the Gardens of Gainesville and Bright Star, and Hospice of Northeast Georgia, for their excellent care of Mary Louise

Memorial Park North Riverside Chapel 989 Riverside Drive Gainesville, GA 30501 is in charge of arrangements. For online condolences www.memorialparkfuneralhomes.com.