Mary Ester Stocks Martin Gailey was fondly known as her initials ‘MM’ by her students – and she took it literally for her funeral (Picture: @itsmeroundtree / TikTok)
A gran who loved chocolate was laid to rest according to her wishes – in a giant model of an M&M.
Mary Ester Stocks Martin Gailey, a language arts teacher for 30 years, was fondly known as her initials ‘MM’ by her students.
Her family and friends honoured the in-joke and wore M&M-themed clothing to her funeral in Arizona, US, on Saturday.
Lisa Richardson, Mary’s daughter-in-law, said: ‘Her only regret was that she wasn’t going to be able to attend her own funeral to see people’s faces.
‘M&Ms were her theme. she was a teacher for 30 years and her initials were MM so her student gave her M&Ms memorabilia until she had an entire room full of it.’
Her coffin was shaped like a giant blue M&M, holding several smaller sweets in the middle featuring the names of her loved ones.
Mary’s children were included: Steven Douglas Martin, William Gary Martin, Cindy Elaine Roundtree, and Thomas Dan Martin.
Loved ones wore M&M-themed outfits to the funeral in Arizona on Saturday (Picture: @itsmeroundtree / TikTok)
William, known as Bill, told Esquire Middle East: ‘The casket is a tribute to the over 5,000 students she taught throughout her career. She will be missed.’
Mary’s grandson, Scott Roundtree, shared photos from her burial.
He wrote: ‘You were right [Grandma] we all loved your casket.
‘You fought so hard. I miss you so much. I’m gonna miss the popcorn, The Rice Krispies, and most of all those hugs.’
Several of Mary’s former pupils attended her funeral and said she was their ‘biggest supporter.’
The giant blue M&M casket had several smaller sweets in the middle featuring the names of Mary’s loved ones (Picture: @itsmeroundtree / TikTok)
One of her students, James Owen, said: ‘She always, ALWAYS, believed in me, and I got to see her every week for the last several years.
‘And in the most Mary thing ever, she requested to be buried in a giant M&M.’
James thanked Mary for her ‘unfailing’ friendship with his mum, and recalled singing at her wedding.
Mary was also a swimming teacher before she retired in 2000.
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She was fondly known as her initials ‘MM’ by her students.
