Mary Irvin

Stevens

Mary Irvin Stevens, age 92, of Olive Branch, Mississippi, passed away on November 4, 2026, at Olive Grove Terrace in Olive Branch. 

She was born on March 25, 1934, in Albany, Georgia, to Cornelius Collier Irvin and Edna Allen Irvin. She was raised on a farm in Newton, Georgia.

 Mary was the starting guard for tiny Baker County High School, which went undefeated with a 37-0 record in her junior year and won the 1950 Georgia State Championship. 

She graduated from the Macon Hospital School of Nursing and was a Registered Nurse. In 1956, she set up the first modernized premature infant unit at Macon Hospital. She was unusually skilled at observation and life-saving care of her “preemies.” Many babies left the hospital named Mary and a few were named Irvin by grateful parents.

When her husband transferred to Memphis, she worked as a nurse in Southaven for Drs. Biggs and Cornelius. In her 70’s and 80’s, she was a favorite greeter at Sam’s on Winchester Rd.

She sold and used Mary Kay products for decades. People still remarked about her beautiful skin even at the age of 92.

 Her husband, Jimmy, was involved in the original Memphis Film Festival in the early 1970’s. It continued as the Memphis Nostalgia Festival and is now called the Flashback Film and TV Festival. The stars who attended all loved Mary because of her Southern hospitality and lovely, easy laugh.

 She adored her grandchildren, their spouses, and her great-grandchildren. Mary was a member of Broadway Baptist Church for 60 years. She and husband James served their Sunday School faithfully. She loved Jesus and believed her Bible.

She was preceded in death by her husband, James Walter Stevens, and her brother, Kenneth Irvin (Merle). 

She is survived by her sons, Walter Stevens (Sherri) and Keith Stevens (Linda); her grandchildren, Stephani Adair (Gerry) and Schaeffer Stevens (Molly); and her great-grandchildren, Walt Adair and Emmeline Stevens.

Visitation will be at 1:00 p.m. on Monday, November 9, 2026, at Broadway Baptist Church. The funeral service will follow at 2:00 p.m. Burial will be at Forest Hill South.

 In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Jude Children's Hospital.