Mary Anne Neel Downey

Mary Anne Neel Downey passed away Friday, May 17, 2024 at Trinity Elms Assisted Living Memory Unit, after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. She was the daughter of Billy B. Neel and Evelyn Waters Neel of Tampa, Florida. After graduating from Jefferson High School in 1965, Mary Anne worked for General Telephone and later as a medical assistant with doctors at Tampa Bay Pediatrics. She met her husband, James E. Downey, Jr. after he was assigned to MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa. They were married in 1969 at the base chapel. Their first son, James E. Downey, III was born in Tampa in 1972. A year after leaving the military, they moved to Clemmons, NC for her husband’s job. Their second son, Billy Neel Downey was born in 1978. Mary Anne had a daughter, Mary Robin who was stillborn in 1979. Mary Anne was a member of Centenary United Methodist Church at 5280 Hampton Road in Clemmons for 45 years where she served as church hostess for many years. Also serving on the childcare board and was an active member of Centenary Methodist Women. Mary Anne loved to cook for her family and friends and helped with the veteran’s day dinners for several years, but also made meals for church, family, and friends during times of loss or illness. She was trained as a Stephen Minister to help others cope in time of grief or loss. She retired from the Clemmons post office with 27 years of service as a rural mail carrier on several Clemmons routes. Mary Anne loved her family and her church family as well, offering her time, her ear, and her presence wherever it was needed. She was a loving, caring, compassionate person, supportive of her husband and sons in scouting, sports, work and their struggles in life. She raised her sons to become strong good men, good husbands and fathers, and successful. Mary Anne was preceded in death by her parents, a brother, David Neel, and daughter Mary Robin Downey. She is survived by her husband of 54 years, 5 months and 9 days. Mary Anne’s legacy lives on in her sons, Jim Downey, III (Michele), Neel Downey (Mollie); five grandchildren, Olivia, Noah, Luke, Emma and Everly Downey; a sister, Deborah Shook (Stewart); brother, Tim Neel (Maggie) and sister-in-law, Debra Neel. 10 nieces and nephews including one niece Stephany, who is like a daughter; special friends, Barbara Starnes, Malinda Hauser, Marion Alderman and Pat Robertson. A special thanks to the staff in the memory unit at the Elms as they have loved and helped our family in the last 10 months of Mary Anne’s journey. A Memorial Service will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, July 13, 2024 at Centenary United Methodist Church, 5280 Hampton Rd., Clemmons, NC with Rev. Oscar Zuniga, Rev. Randy Lucas and Rev. Denise Henry officiating. The family will receive friends following the service in the old fellowship hall. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Centenary United Methodist Church, 5280 Hampton Rd., Clemmons, NC 27012 or to Trinity Elms Assisted Living Memory Enrichment Center, 3750 Harper Rd., Clemmons, NC 27012 or to the Alzheimer’s Association, 951 Ballpark Way, Winston-Salem, NC 27101.