Mary Beth went peacefully to be with our Lord and Savior Thursday morning while surrounded by her loving family. She passed away in Dallas after a brief but spirited battle with pancreatic cancer. Born in Lambert and raised in Marks, Mississippi, she was a true Southern Belle and an original Steel Magnolia.
She attended Marks High School and was a member of the first graduating class of Delta Academy in 1970. Mary Beth received a degree in horticulture from Mississippi State University, which later served her well during her time as a landscaping supervisor at Lowry Air Force Base in Colorado. Before graduating from State, she married James “Max” Maxted in September 1979. Following graduation, they moved to Colorado where they first met. After their first child, Michael, was born in Denver, Mary Beth and Max settled in Brownwood, Texas where their second child Catherine Amelia was born.
Mary Beth’s Christian faith was her anchor and she was a beloved member of St. John’s Church of Brownwood for nearly 30 years, where she sang in the choir and served on the vestry. The ability to care for and show love to others in every manner were her greatest attributes. Some of her happiest times were spent at Care Nursing & Rehabilitation in Early, Texas where she adored the residents and brought joy to their lives as an activity director. An eternal optimist, Mary Beth found the good and beauty in everything and everyone around her. She treasured nature and was fond of animals. Lovely in every way; her kind spirit and positive energy will be missed tremendously.
Mary Beth is survived by her husband of 40 years, Max Maxted, son, Michael and his wife Marta, granddaughter Marietta, and daughter, Catherine. She is also survived by her mother, Suezette Buehler Barringer and siblings Suezette Barringer Hankins, Henry Barringer, and Cathy Barringer Reed and her husband Tag. She was preceded in death by her father, Ben Gray “Bud” Barringer, Jr. and younger brother, Ben Gray “Gray” Barringer, III.
Funeral services will be held at St. John’s Church in Brownwood, Texas Thursday, March 21, at 1 p.m. with a time for fellowship directly following in the parish hall. A graveside service will be held in the Mississippi Delta Saturday, March 23 at 11 a.m. at the Marks Cemetery. Afterwards, friends and family will gather at the Barringer home in Marks, Mississippi. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Corinne T. Smith Animal Center, 3016 Milam Drive, Brownwood, Texas 76801 (325) 646-0617.
