Mary Cruce of Columbia, 93, went home to be with the Lord on Thursday, February 26, 2026, after a long illness. 

She was predeceased by her wonderful husband of 43 years, who she loved very much, Bill Cruce. She will be laid to rest next to him at Greenlawn Memorial Park.  

She was also predeceased by her loving parents, Johnny and Gladys.  

She is survived by her two daughters, Aldyth (Isobet) Beltane and Judi Cruce. 

Mary will be remembered for her gentle heart, tender spirit, and her love of animals. She had a wry sense of humor and loved to laugh. She was a woman of many talents, especially as an accomplished pianist who had learned to play by ear. 

She was a lifelong member of First Baptist Church in Columbia and later attended Shandon Baptist Church. She was a Sunday school teacher for both children when she was younger and older adults in her later years. She loved the Bible and loved the rich stories in it. In her spare time, Mary enjoyed reading historical and Biblical based fiction.  

History was a big part of Mary’s interests, particularly old English and Norse, as well as American History. She was fiercely proud of her Scottish heritage. For two terms, she proudly served as Regent for the University Of South Carolina Chapter Of NSDAR.  

Mary graduated from the University of South Carolina with a Bachelor of Arts degree and later a Master’s degree in Library Information Science. She worked as a teacher before she had children and later as a librarian at Midlands Tech Beltline. 

A memorial service will be held on Friday, March 6 at 2pm at Thompson Funeral Home at Greenlawn Memorial Park, 845 Leesburg Road, Columbia, SC 29209. A reception will be held one hour prior.

For those unable to attend, the service will be streaming live via the following link: https://client.tribucast.com/tcid/f26033836334316