Marion Louise Bateman McCord, 88, passed away peacefully on February 4, 2015 at Cypress Run at Morristown Manor in Morristown, Indiana. She was born August 17, 1926, in Tampa, Florida, to Richard Dupuy and Madeline Louise (Brack) Bateman. Marion lived a full life and left a legacy of love and forthrightness to her family. She grew up quickly through the Great Depression and World War II.
She graduated from Sacred Heart Academy in Tampa and attended Barry College for Women in Miami, Florida, for one year. In the summer of 1945, she went to work in the flight safety office at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa under the direction of Captain Richard David "Dick" McCord, a B-17 pilot back from the European theatre. Dick was instantly struck by her beauty and took her flying, unbeknownst to her mother, who would have been horrified. Marion was never afraid to try anything. Three months after meeting, Dick and Marion were married and set off on their life's adventure. She accompanied Dick through multiple Air Force assignments, having five children along the way and ending up in Bethesda, Maryland. Following active duty, Dick's civilian job took him all over the world, but Marion was adamant that she stay in Maryland with her children. She began working for a landscaper who had a floral gift shop. Her thirst for learning and desire to be productive germinated her lifelong love of foliage plants and she quickly became expert in their care and cultivation. After the youngest children moved out, she accompanied Dick on his final assignment, to Saudi Arabia, for three years. Before returning home, they toured the world including a ride on an elephant in India.
Back in the States, they settled in Apopka, Florida, where they purchased a greenhouse and began growing and shipping plants. When Dick started to falter from Alzheimer's disease, they had to sell the business, but Marion continued to work for the Property Owners Association where they lived and took on the bookkeeping for several other associations. She volunteered for the Literacy Program in Apopka by tutoring adults to read. All this while she cared for Dick and their Down Syndrome daughter, Patty.
Marion and Dick celebrated 50 years of marriage in 1995. After Dick passed away in 1998, Marion made the decision to move with Patty to Shelbyville, Indiana, to be close to family. As she did wherever she lived, she quickly immersed herself in her community. She joined the Major Hospital volunteers and served on the Senior Services Board. She also took ownership of caring for the plants in the hospital and oncology center, where, as a two-time breast cancer survivor, she could offer empathy and emotional support to the patients. It was common to see her in the halls with her large watering cans. An avid golfer, she was a member of the Shelbyville Ladies Golf Association and was an excellent bridge player. Many knew her to be a fierce competitor. She lived for spring and summer so she could cheer on her beloved Atlanta Braves.
She is survived by her daughters, Peg Dovidas and husband, Dick, and Patricia McCord, both of Shelbyville, Indiana; sons, Richard McCord Jr. and wife, Leslie of Henderson, Nevada, Kenneth McCord and wife, Linda, of Orange, California, and John McCord and wife, Beverly, of Linden, Virginia; six grandchildren; six step-grandchildren; six great-grandchildren with one on the way; and several nieces and nephews.
She was also preceded in death by her parents; brothers, Richard Bateman and Harlan Bateman; and sister, Edna Bateman.
Private graveside services will take place in Apopka, Florida at a later date.
Freeman Family Funeral Homes
She graduated from Sacred Heart Academy in Tampa and attended Barry College for Women in Miami, Florida, for one year. In the summer of 1945, she went to work in the flight safety office at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa under the direction of Captain Richard David "Dick" McCord, a B-17 pilot back from the European theatre. Dick was instantly struck by her beauty and took her flying, unbeknownst to her mother, who would have been horrified. Marion was never afraid to try anything. Three months after meeting, Dick and Marion were married and set off on their life's adventure. She accompanied Dick through multiple Air Force assignments, having five children along the way and ending up in Bethesda, Maryland. Following active duty, Dick's civilian job took him all over the world, but Marion was adamant that she stay in Maryland with her children. She began working for a landscaper who had a floral gift shop. Her thirst for learning and desire to be productive germinated her lifelong love of foliage plants and she quickly became expert in their care and cultivation. After the youngest children moved out, she accompanied Dick on his final assignment, to Saudi Arabia, for three years. Before returning home, they toured the world including a ride on an elephant in India.
Back in the States, they settled in Apopka, Florida, where they purchased a greenhouse and began growing and shipping plants. When Dick started to falter from Alzheimer's disease, they had to sell the business, but Marion continued to work for the Property Owners Association where they lived and took on the bookkeeping for several other associations. She volunteered for the Literacy Program in Apopka by tutoring adults to read. All this while she cared for Dick and their Down Syndrome daughter, Patty.
Marion and Dick celebrated 50 years of marriage in 1995. After Dick passed away in 1998, Marion made the decision to move with Patty to Shelbyville, Indiana, to be close to family. As she did wherever she lived, she quickly immersed herself in her community. She joined the Major Hospital volunteers and served on the Senior Services Board. She also took ownership of caring for the plants in the hospital and oncology center, where, as a two-time breast cancer survivor, she could offer empathy and emotional support to the patients. It was common to see her in the halls with her large watering cans. An avid golfer, she was a member of the Shelbyville Ladies Golf Association and was an excellent bridge player. Many knew her to be a fierce competitor. She lived for spring and summer so she could cheer on her beloved Atlanta Braves.
She is survived by her daughters, Peg Dovidas and husband, Dick, and Patricia McCord, both of Shelbyville, Indiana; sons, Richard McCord Jr. and wife, Leslie of Henderson, Nevada, Kenneth McCord and wife, Linda, of Orange, California, and John McCord and wife, Beverly, of Linden, Virginia; six grandchildren; six step-grandchildren; six great-grandchildren with one on the way; and several nieces and nephews.
She was also preceded in death by her parents; brothers, Richard Bateman and Harlan Bateman; and sister, Edna Bateman.
Private graveside services will take place in Apopka, Florida at a later date.
Freeman Family Funeral Homes
Marion Louise Bateman McCord, 88, passed away peacefully on February 4, 2015 at Cypress Run at Morristown Manor in Morristown, Indiana. She was born August 17, 1926, in Tampa, Florida, to Richard Dupuy and Madeline Louise (Brack) Bateman. Marion lived a full life and left a legacy of love and forthrightness to her family. She grew up quickly through the Great Depression and World War II.
She graduated from Sacred Heart Academy in Tampa and attended Barry College for Women in Miami, Florida, for one year. In the summer of 1945, she went to work in the flight safety office at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa under the direction of Captain Richard David "Dick" McCord, a B-17 pilot back from the European theatre. Dick was instantly struck by her beauty and took her flying, unbeknownst to her mother, who would have been horrified. Marion was never afraid to try anything. Three months after meeting, Dick and Marion were married and set off on their life's adventure. She accompanied Dick through multiple Air Force assignments, having five children along the way and ending up in Bethesda, Maryland. Following active duty, Dick's civilian job took him all over the world, but Marion was adamant that she stay in Maryland with her children. She began working for a landscaper who had a floral gift shop. Her thirst for learning and desire to be productive germinated her lifelong love of foliage plants and she quickly became expert in their care and cultivation. After the youngest children moved out, she accompanied Dick on his final assignment, to Saudi Arabia, for three years. Before returning home, they toured the world including a ride on an elephant in India.
Back in the States, they settled in Apopka, Florida, where they purchased a greenhouse and began growing and shipping plants. When Dick started to falter from Alzheimer's disease, they had to sell the business, but Marion continued to work for the Property Owners Association where they lived and took on the bookkeeping for several other associations. She volunteered for the Literacy Program in Apopka by tutoring adults to read. All this while she cared for Dick and their Down Syndrome daughter, Patty.
Marion and Dick celebrated 50 years of marriage in 1995. After Dick passed away in 1998, Marion made the decision to move with Patty to Shelbyville, Indiana, to be close to family. As she did wherever she lived, she quickly immersed herself in her community. She joined the Major Hospital volunteers and served on the Senior Services Board. She also took ownership of caring for the plants in the hospital and oncology center, where, as a two-time breast cancer survivor, she could offer empathy and emotional support to the patients. It was common to see her in the halls with her large watering cans. An avid golfer, she was a member of the Shelbyville Ladies Golf Association and was an excellent bridge player. Many knew her to be a fierce competitor. She lived for spring and summer so she could cheer on her beloved Atlanta Braves.
She is survived by her daughters, Peg Dovidas and husband, Dick, and Patricia McCord, both of Shelbyville, Indiana; sons, Richard McCord Jr. and wife, Leslie of Henderson, Nevada, Kenneth McCord and wife, Linda, of Orange, California, and John McCord and wife, Beverly, of Linden, Virginia; six grandchildren; six step-grandchildren; six great-grandchildren with one on the way; and several nieces and nephews.
She was also preceded in death by her parents; brothers, Richard Bateman and Harlan Bateman; and sister, Edna Bateman.
Private graveside services will take place in Apopka, Florida at a later date.
Freeman Family Funeral Homes
She graduated from Sacred Heart Academy in Tampa and attended Barry College for Women in Miami, Florida, for one year. In the summer of 1945, she went to work in the flight safety office at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa under the direction of Captain Richard David "Dick" McCord, a B-17 pilot back from the European theatre. Dick was instantly struck by her beauty and took her flying, unbeknownst to her mother, who would have been horrified. Marion was never afraid to try anything. Three months after meeting, Dick and Marion were married and set off on their life's adventure. She accompanied Dick through multiple Air Force assignments, having five children along the way and ending up in Bethesda, Maryland. Following active duty, Dick's civilian job took him all over the world, but Marion was adamant that she stay in Maryland with her children. She began working for a landscaper who had a floral gift shop. Her thirst for learning and desire to be productive germinated her lifelong love of foliage plants and she quickly became expert in their care and cultivation. After the youngest children moved out, she accompanied Dick on his final assignment, to Saudi Arabia, for three years. Before returning home, they toured the world including a ride on an elephant in India.
Back in the States, they settled in Apopka, Florida, where they purchased a greenhouse and began growing and shipping plants. When Dick started to falter from Alzheimer's disease, they had to sell the business, but Marion continued to work for the Property Owners Association where they lived and took on the bookkeeping for several other associations. She volunteered for the Literacy Program in Apopka by tutoring adults to read. All this while she cared for Dick and their Down Syndrome daughter, Patty.
Marion and Dick celebrated 50 years of marriage in 1995. After Dick passed away in 1998, Marion made the decision to move with Patty to Shelbyville, Indiana, to be close to family. As she did wherever she lived, she quickly immersed herself in her community. She joined the Major Hospital volunteers and served on the Senior Services Board. She also took ownership of caring for the plants in the hospital and oncology center, where, as a two-time breast cancer survivor, she could offer empathy and emotional support to the patients. It was common to see her in the halls with her large watering cans. An avid golfer, she was a member of the Shelbyville Ladies Golf Association and was an excellent bridge player. Many knew her to be a fierce competitor. She lived for spring and summer so she could cheer on her beloved Atlanta Braves.
She is survived by her daughters, Peg Dovidas and husband, Dick, and Patricia McCord, both of Shelbyville, Indiana; sons, Richard McCord Jr. and wife, Leslie of Henderson, Nevada, Kenneth McCord and wife, Linda, of Orange, California, and John McCord and wife, Beverly, of Linden, Virginia; six grandchildren; six step-grandchildren; six great-grandchildren with one on the way; and several nieces and nephews.
She was also preceded in death by her parents; brothers, Richard Bateman and Harlan Bateman; and sister, Edna Bateman.
Private graveside services will take place in Apopka, Florida at a later date.
Freeman Family Funeral Homes
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