Mary M. Brewer

COLUMBIA—Mary Mathis Brewer went to her eternal home on November 18, 2014.Born in Lee County in 1924 to the late Mamie Elmore Mathis and Furman Mathis, she soon moved to Columbia with the family and lived there the remainder of her life. She graduated from University High School in 1942 and married her high school sweetheart, Barney F. Brewer, Sr. to whom she was happily married for 71 years until his death in 2013. While Barney was in the South Pacific with the 2nd Marine Division during WWII, Mary worked for Pacific Mills as a cost Accountant. She was a founding member of Cedar Creek Baptist Church and a longtime member of Denny Terrace Baptist Church.Mary completed a business administration degree through ICS Management Institute of the University of Delaware and Southern Methodist University. Mary went on to work for Colonial Stores as a cost accountant, executive secretary to the former Director of the SC Wildlife Department, James W. Webb, executive secretary to the President of American Sentinel Life Insurance Co. and also Lincoln National Life Insurance Co. From 1967 until 1980 she was the executive vice president of the SC Life Underwriters Association.During this time she was instrumental in helping the association build the first permanent location for an office of a state’s insurance underwriting association in the United States. In 1980 Mary became the founder and owner of Brewer Insurance Information Service, where she taught pre-licensing education courses to thousands of students preparing for a profession in life, health, property and casualty insurance.She had a remarkable ability to teach and inspire students of all education levels as she prepared them to enter the insurance profession.She not only taught students, she also prepared lunch for them, and she and Barney would allow students to stay in their home if they needed lodging.She had the most remarkable ability to remember names, faces, and family connections of students even 30 years after having taught them. She loved knowing that these students were able to enter a profession that would enable them to provide better lives for their families as they helped other people protect their families and businesses with insurance.Over the years Mary received countless heartfelt letters of appreciation from her students for the attention she had given them to help in their new profession. There was nothing more important to Mary than the well-being of her family.She loved and cherished every member.She is survived by her son, Barney “Buddy” F. Brewer, Jr. (Lynn) of Lexington, SC; granddaughters, Weatherly Brewer Landry (Jack) of Wilmington, NC and Dr. Mary Caroline Brewer Sellars (Brett) of Asheville, NC; great-grandsons, Gus Landry and Boone Landry of Wilmington, NC; sisters, Virginia Warren (WL) of West Columbia, SC; Nell Wylie of Red Bank, SC; Mildred Haffey (Mark) of Salt Lake City, UT; sister-in-law, Hilda Mathis of West Columbia; former son-in-law, George Alley of Florence; numerous nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews.Mary was a compassionate, wise and generous person who truly made a difference to her family and friends and will be dearly missed by all who knew her. She was predeceased by her husband, her dearly beloved daughter, Dr. Mary Dean Brewer Alley; sisters, Sallie Mathis Moak and Betty Mathis Moak; brothers, Eldridge Mathis and Douglas Mathis. A Celebration of Life will be held at 1:00 p.m. Friday, November 21, 2014 at Temples Halloran Funeral Home Chapel, 5400 Bush River Road, Columbia, SC 29212.The Reverend William “Bill” Powell and Mr. Bernard Carl Sullivan will officiate. Burial will follow in Greenlawn Memorial Park, 845 Leesburg Road, Columbia, SC 29209.Please join family and friends from 11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. for visitation and light refreshments at the funeral home. Memorials may be to Harvest Hope Food Bank, 2220 Shop Road, Columbia, SC 29201; Mary Brewer Endowed Scholarship at Darla Moore School of Business, 1014 Greene Street, Columbia, SC 29208;Lutheran Hospice, 1505 Blanding Street, Columbia, SC29201;Youth Department of Rehobeth United Church of Jesus Christ, 3420 N. Beltline Blvd., Columbia, SC 29204. Oh, God . . . Oh, God, when I have food help me to remember the hungry; When I have work, help me to remember the jobless; When I have a warm home, help me to remember the homeless; When I am without pain, help me to remember those who suffer; And remembering, help me to destroy my complacency and bestir my compassion. Make me concerned enough to help, by word and deed, those who cry out for what we take for granted. “Jesus said to His disciples: ‘My heart is moved with pity for the crowd…’ He took seven loaves and a few small fish, blessed them and distributed them.About 4,000 people ate their full.” – Mark 8:2-9