Mary Helen Saunders

Mary Helen Saunders, 85, of Marietta, Georgia, and formerly of Cookeville, Tennessee, passed from this life on Monday, December 9, 2024, in Marietta, Georgia. Mary Helen was born Friday, July 14, 1939, to the late Howard Saunders and Helen (Betke) Saunders. She attended school in local Cookeville schools and enjoyed playing on the girls high school basketball team and playing in the marching band. She recalled both activities with great fondness throughout her life. She took business classes at Tech before she met and married Bobby Meadows, also from Cookeville and moved several times as he completed his degree and began his career, eventually moving to Vero Beach, Florida. She remained for years in Vero Beach where she was active in the local garden club, played saxophone in a stage band that played 40’s big band tunes, she played tennis, came close to completing a college degree in marine biology and spent many weekend hours scuba diving or snorkeling. She visited her daughter Laura in Miami often and loved attending Miami Heat games. She was a long time member of First Baptist Church of Vero Beach. She eventually moved back to Cookeville and resumed using her maiden name. She was very happy to be back home and transferred her church membership to First Baptist Church, which is the church she grew up in. She worked in the Pre-Professional Health Sciences department at Tech as a secretary and she loved the students so much. She used to edit their papers before they turned them in and encouraged and advocated for their success at every opportunity. In Cookeville she again played sax in a local stage band. She followed her favorite minister when he was called to start Covenant Church of Cookeville and loved her church family very much. In 2016 she moved to Marietta to be near her daughter and was just in time for the Atlanta Braves to move to a new stadium in very close proximity. She was a huge fan of the Atlanta Braves and over the following 3-4 seasons attended 10-15 home games each year and befriended her favorite usher who remains a dear family friend. Mary Helen was a loving daughter, sister, mother, aunt, and friend who rarely met a stranger. She is survived by, Daughter, Laura Meadows and her husband, Danny Nodal; 6 Nieces and Nephews, Susan Ziegler, Shirley Whiteaker, Cynthia Messick, Scott Whiteaker, Jere Judd, and Judy Medlin; several cousins and host of friends in Cookeville, Vero Beach and Marietta. In addition to her parents, Mary Helen was preceded in death by, former Husband, Bobby Meadows (divorced 1979); Brother, Richard Saunders, and his wife, Bettye Sue; Sister, Bettye Whiteaker, and her husband, Bruce. Funeral Service for Mary Helen Saunders will be held Monday, December 16, 2024 at 2:00 pm from the chapel of Crest Lawn Funeral Home with Pastor Jonathan Nelms officiating. Interment will follow in the Crest Lawn Memorial Cemetery. Visitation will be held Monday, December 16, 2024 from 12:00 pm until the time of service at Crest Lawn Funeral Home.

Mary Helen Saunders

July 14, 1939 - December 9, 2024