Mary Dunlap's Obituary
Mary M. Dunlap born December 4, 1918, passed away on February 14, 2009. Services will be held 10:00 am Saturday March 28th at Granada Presbyterian Church in Coral Gables, Florida .
She was born in Delaware and moved to Miami in 1921, with her mother and father, Anne R. and John C. Miller, two sisters and three brothers.
A graduate of Miami High School, she worked for the First National Bank of Miami, which evolved into Southeast Bank and for Southern Bell Telephone Co. During World War II, she was a civilian employee of the U.S. Signal Corps.
It was during her tenure at the old First National Bank that she met Tully F. Dunlap. They were married in Coral Gables Methodist Church on July 30, 1939.
They met during the Great Depression when salaries were low and times were tough. “I joined the bank in 1935 and was earning $50.00 a month,” Dunlap recalled “Mary came to work in 1937 at $50.00 a month. We got engaged in 1938 and were married in 1939.
In his first banking job, Tully Dunlap was a “runner” a “messenger odd jobs man” and Mary was a stenographer. Some of their experiences would raise eyebrows of today’s bank employees. “Before we could marry,” Dunlap said, “we had to get permission from the bank president, Edward C. Romfh. A bank employee could not borrow money without first getting the approval of Mr. Romfh.”
Over time, Tully Dunlap’s banking career flourished. He headed three small banks in the Miami area, merged them into the state-wide Sun Bank and became chairman of that bank holding company before moving into other top posts with banking institution on the Florida west coast.
In retirement, Mary and Tully settled in La Belle, Florida, where Mary was active in the Chamber of Commerce and the American Legion Auxiliary. They also owned a condominium in Coral Gables and maintained close ties with friends and business interest in the Miami Area.
Throughout her life, Mary was active in a wide variety of community and church organizations. She was a Girl Scout Leader, a volunteer worker at hospitals in Coral Gables and Winter Park and a member of the Riviera Country Club and Century Club in Coral Gables.
In addition to her husband, she is survived by a son, Robert F. Dunlap, a Miami attorney, a daughter, Mary D. Peacock, a school teacher in Winter Haven; a son in law, Lawrence Peacock, a school teacher in Winter Haven; grandchildren; Robert Tully Dunlap, Lauren Mary Dunlap, Jake Franklin Peacock, and Jennifer Elizabeth Peacock.
Her husband said, “When I returned from service in World War II, I asked Mary to quit her job, to stay at home and be a full-time wife and later a full-time mother. She did that and did it well. Mary was kind, considerate, generous and gracious lady, a devoted wife, loving mother and proud grandmother. She has been my motivation and inspiration”
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to: Granada Presbyterian Church, 950 University Drive, Coral Gables, Florida 33134.
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