Mary Louise Graves Stegall passed away peacefully on Monday, Nov. 7, 2016, surrounded by her husband and four children after a 13-year battle with cancer.Mary's commitment to children and families was a passion that drove her throughout her life. At Auburn, she graduated with a degree in Early Childhood Development. After marrying Bill Stegall, her high school sweetheart of seven years, she found herself fully in the weeds, being blessed with four children. With her youngest off to school, Mary became a teacher for the Young Mothers Program for Birmingham City Schools. Unwed pregnant teens and their newborns were assigned to Mary's classroom at Woodlawn High School. She taught her students how to care of themselves and their new babies. The program's success kept more young women in school and built stronger families, with Mary ensuring that "her girls" knew the importance of a strong spiritual foundation.Mary & Bill moved to Memphis in 1998 and to Gadsden in 2004, where again she taught home economics. She actively served her church wherever the Lord placed her and her family; which included Briarwood (Birmingham), 2nd Presbyterian (Memphis), Rainbow (Gadsden) and Covenant (Birmingham). She viewed her efforts for Overseas Missions as among her most important contributions to children and families.Mary's priority clearly was family, though her hospitality extended far beyond. She was Bill's biggest supporter in new business ventures, and his nurse when he suffered two heart attacks. She home-schooled two of her children for a year, and sent her kids on trips overseas when she would have loved to travel more. She hosted year-long foreign exchange students, kids' friends on semester-long internships; friends in need of a temporary home, and provided room and board for family and friends-of-friends. You knew that a visit to Mary's home might mean seeing old friends or making new ones.Mary's seven-year battle with stage-four cancer, waged with Dr. Andres Feraro-Torres's tender care, was a case study in tenacity with dignity. Mary prayed that she would see her four children's spouses, that each would love her child and the Lord, and that she would get to see and know her grandchildren. She saw all these things and more, and thanked God for his merciful goodness.Mary was born on Sept. 17, 1949, the fourth child and only daughter of Emalee Graves Newbold and the late Jack A. Graves. She graduated from Berry High School and Auburn University, and is survived by her husband of 43 years, William C. Stegall Jr. She is survived by her mother, Emalee, and three brothers, David Graves (Jan), Jack Graves (Randa) and Jeff Graves (Renee).Mary was the wise and loving mother of four children: Sarah Squires (K.C.), Will Stegall (Jenny), Emalee Holmes (Mark) and Mary Beth Ely (David). Her 12 grandchildren were each a source of joy: Elle Squires, Evelyn Squires, Aubrey Squires, Annie Stegall, William Stegall, J.E.B. Stegall, Henry Stegall, Alice Holmes, Sawyer Holmes, Caroline Ely, Elizabeth Ely and Anna Ely. She also loved her many aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews.Visitation will be from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 9, at Southern Heritage Funeral Home. A memorial service will be at noon Thursday, Nov. 10, 2016, at Covenant Presbyterian Church, 65 Old Montgomery Highway, Birmingham, AL 35209. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Missions Committee of Covenant Presbyterian Church.