Willie Mae Myer - Obituary

illie Mae (Durham) Myer, 96, of Ocean City, Maryland, passed away peacefully surrounded by family. Born on May 31, 1929, in Amarillo, Texas, Willie Mae grew up during the Dust Bowl era and at the age of 12 moved with her family to Washington, DC, where her father had taken a job at the Navy Gun Factory. While attending Chamberlain Vocational High School in Washington DC, she studied cosmetology and afterwards began working as a hairdresser until beginning a family of her own. On May 14, 1949, she married the love of her life, Arthur Myer, and together they were blessed with three sons: Thomas, Daniel, and A. Timothy. Willie Mae also played an important role in the family’s plumbing business, faithfully taking calls and supporting Arthur for many years. The Myers raised their family in Landover, Maryland, before building their dream home in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, where they lived for two decades. Later, they enjoyed a happy retirement in Ocean City, Maryland, a place that Willie Mae cherished deeply. For many years, Willie Mae lovingly served in the nursery at her home church, Trinity Assembly of God, where she cared for and blessed countless families with her warmth and devotion. Following Arthur’s passing, Willie Mae courageously managed the challenges of a lifelong genetic vision disease. In 2021, she moved to Edgewater, Maryland to live with her son and daughter-in-law, where she spent her final years surrounded by love and care. Willie Mae will be fondly remembered for her love and devotion to Arthur, her deep affection for Ocean City, and her faithful service to her church community. She delighted in life’s simple pleasures (especially cookies, candies, and every sweet treat that brought joy to those around her), and she was a devoted wife, a loving mother, a treasured grandmother, and a proud great-grandmother whose love and legacy live on in the family she so dearly adored. Yet, above all, she will be remembered for her unwavering faith in the Lord, which shaped every part of her life and the way she loved others. She is survived by her three sons: Thomas Myer (Nancy), Daniel Myer (Myrian—deceased), and A. Timothy Myer (Teri); nine grandchildren: Katherine Myer, Emily Bunch (Jarrett), Kevyn Myer, Deanna Curbeam (Emerson), David Myer, Adam Myer (Amanda), Noah Myer (Sarah), Hannah Myer, and Jacob Myer; and eight great-grandchildren Louisa, Imogen, Berkley, Griffin, Landon, Savannah, Magnolia, and Delaney. She was preceded in death by her parents, Johnny Clyde Durham and Eulma Durham; her siblings, John Durham, Betty Faye Crampton, and Nancy Colandrea; and her granddaughter, Jessica. Having served Christ as her Savior for a lifetime, Willie Mae longed for the day she would regain perfect vision and see Jesus face to face. Today, that longing is fulfilled as her faith has become sight. Her family takes comfort in knowing that, as Scripture reminds us in 2 Corinthians 5:8, “to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord." Friends and family are invited to celebrate Willie Mae's life at the Kalas Funeral Home & Crematory, 2973 Solomons Island Road Edgewater, MD on Monday, September 8 from 10 AM until her funeral service begins at 11 AM. Interment will take place on Tuesday, September 16 at 12 PM at Eastern Shore Veterans Cemetery, 6827 E New Market Ellwood Rd, Hurlock, MD 21643.