Mary Lea Aldridge Hamilton

Lexington, SC: Mary Lea Hamilton, 79, passed away on Saturday, October 22, 2016, in Lexington, South Carolina. A graveside service will be held on Tuesday, October 25, 2016, at 3:00 P.M. at Reidlawn Cemetery with Rev. Mark Norman Vickers officiating. Mrs. Hamilton was born on May 28, 1937, in Rockingham County to the late Glenn E. and Mamie Page Aldridge. She graduated from Reidsville High School in 1955 and attended Women’s College of the University of North Carolina graduating in 1959 with a BA in English and a minor in Drama. She had a love for acting and had a large role in “The Women” traveling with the college drama department to Japan where they performed that play for the troops. She was also a cast member in “Chucky Jack” during her college years, a summer drama in Gatlinburg, TN where she had a prominent role. She had an avid love for acting. She taught English at Greensboro Senior High School (now Grimsley High School) after graduating from college. She married Charlie Hamilton in 1960, and they later moved to Lillington, NC where they purchased and ran the local newspaper, the Harnett County News. They moved to Boone, NC for a few years where Mary attended graduate school at Appalachian State. They later moved to Toccoa, GA where they made their home for 26 years. They purchased The Toccoa Record in 1970. Charlie was the publisher and Mary Lea joined the staff as Women’s Editor. She was always very active in the community wherever they lived and belonged to several clubs including the Women’s Club, Book Club, and Bridge Club while in Toccoa. She loved bridge and was an avid reader and writer. She, along with several others in Toccoa started the Stephens County Literacy Program. She also taught GED classes in Stephens County and would always have a good story about the late James Brown whose ex-wife was one of her students. She was involved in the community theatre in Toccoa and directed several productions over the years. She and her husband retired and returned to Greensboro in 1996. She was active in several clubs there including bridge club and book club, and was active in several volunteer organizations. She was a member of the Asbury Sunday School Class at Christ United Methodist Church where she was very active. She and her husband loved to travel and took several grand European and domestic trips after retirement. She was known to all who knew her as the epitome of a Southern lady. She was a loving wife, mother, and grandmother, and she will be greatly missed. Along with her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Charles A. “Charlie” Hamilton and her brother, Denny Page Aldridge. She is survived by her daughters, Elizabeth Lea Parker and husband, Larry of Lexington, SC; and Page Alberts of Greensboro, NC; grandchildren, Kyle Weston Parker of Lexington, SC, and Zachary Hamilton Alberts of Greensboro; and numerous cousins. Memorial contributions may be made to Christ United Methodist Church, 410 N Holden Rd, Greensboro, NC 27410. Wilkerson Funeral Home is assisting the family and condolences may be made to the family at www.wilkersonfuneral.com.