Mary Jane (Martin) Shaver, of Clanton, Alabama, and formerly, Atlanta, GA, passed away peacefully on January 30th, 2020, after a brave battle with Parkinson's Disease. Mary Jane was born to parents, Mary and Paul Martin on May 27, 1941, in Birmingham, Alabama, where she was raised, with her younger sister (and best friend), Paula (Martin) Josephs. She graduated Ramsay High School in Birmingham, AL, and briefly attended Univ of Montevallo. As a young adult, Mary Jane married Ralston Shaver and moved to Atlanta, GA, where she had her only daughter, Paula Leigh (Shaver) Carter in 1973, which was one of the proudest moments of her life!
Mary Jane's artistic talents were shared and enjoyed by others, through her work as a floral designer for over 25 years. She also expressed her creativity through sewing and even made dolls for her daughter. She enjoyed playing tennis and was always very humble about her skill level, although she served as Captain of her team at the Brittany Club, where she played for over 30 years and was respected and loved by her teammates. Mary Jane valued her family more than anything else, especially her daughter Paula Leigh (Shaver) Carter, and grandson (Connor, age 14), who lovingly called her "Mi Mi".
Mary Jane is survived by her sister, Paula (Martin) Josephs of Clanton, AL; daughter Paula Leigh (Shaver) Carter, son-in-law, Scott Carter and grandson, Connor Carter, all of Ladera Ranch, CA., in addition to many cousins. The family is grateful for all condolences and appreciates all donations made in memory of Mary Jane, to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. Let's work for a cure!
The Michael J. Fox Foundation is dedicated to finding a cure for Parkinson's disease and to ensuring the development of improved therapies for those living with Parkinson's today. The Foundation is the world's largest nonprofit funder of Parkinson's research, with more than $800 million in high-impact research funded to date.
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