Mary Norwood Land

Mary Norwood Land of Durham County, NC, died Friday, October 18, 2024 after a long illness. She was 91.

Mary was born and raised in New Orleans. She was the daughter of the Reverend John S. Land and Helen Street Land. Dr. Land was the founding pastor of St. Charles Avenue Presbyterian Church in New Orleans. Mary and her family lived in the manse near the church. During summers as a teenager she attended Camp Monterey in Tennessee where she excelled at canoeing. She attended Isidore Newman School in New Orleans where she was a cheerleader. After graduating she attended Agnes Scott College in Decatur, GA. While an Agnes Scott student, she was elected the KA Rose at the KA fraternity at nearby Emory University. After three years at Agnes Scott, she transferred her senior year in 1955 to Newcomb College in New Orleans where she graduated that year with distinction, earning a B.A in French.

That same year she married Dr. John F. Egger Jr of Meridian, MS. They moved often during their marriage but eventually settled in New Orleans. They had three daughters, twins Alison
and Jane, and later, Anne. The couple divorced in 1971.

Throughout the 1970s and early 1980s, Mary worked in various capacities at Tulane University. She assisted professors in the classics department where she expertly proofread their scholarly manuscripts and articles before publication. She was an excellent writer, speller and grammarian. She also served as a grants officer in Tulane's Provost's office. Later she served as an administrative assistant both at Tulane Archives and at Newcomb's Women's Center.

In 1983 she moved to Charlotte, NC, where her father was residing in an assisted living facility. She continued to work, most notably as assistant to the director of the Presbyterian Foundation. She enjoyed her work and her colleagues. Those years were some of the happiest of her professional and personal life.

In the mid 1990s, upon the death of her father, Mary decided to move back to New Orleans. She would reside there for another 10 years. During this time she worked as a library assistant at the Milton Latter Library. In 2005 she returned to Charlotte and volunteered at the Morrison Branch of Charlotte Public Libraries. She brought her dog Greta to the library so children could practice reading out loud to Greta who served as a nonjudgmental listener. In later years she moved to Durham, NC, and Simpsonville, SC, to be closer to her daughters.

Mary was known for her keen mind and her wit, charm and wonderful sense of humor. Her daughters and close friends appreciated these qualities in her.

She loved her daughters very much. She frequently called them, wrote them letters, visited them and traveled with them to Europe and Hawaii. She was kind, generous, and supportive.

She found pleasure and solace in reading. She enjoyed reading the newspaper, escaping in murder mysteries, and watching sports, including baseball and tennis, as well as the news, TV
sitcoms, and The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.

Mary was a dog lover. She adopted and cared for a number of dogs throughout her life. She was proud to be a New Orleanian. She enjoyed dining at some of the city's fine restaurants but also its humble neighborhood establishments with friends and family. She enjoyed barbecue shrimp at Bud's and po boy sandwiches from Domilise's.

Survivors include her daughters Alison Egger Morris and son-in-law Roman Morris, both of Simpsonville, SC; Jane Egger Ray and son-in-law Wesley Ray, both of Durham, NC; and Anne
Egger and son-in-law Jet Eller, both of Mint Hill, NC. Also surviving are two grandchildren, three nephews, a niece, and a cousin.

Graveside services will be held Friday, Oct. 25 at 11 am at Laurelwood Cemetery in Rock Hill.

In lieu of flowers, please direct memorial gifts to the Mary Norwood Land Scholarship Fund. Visit giving.tulane.edu/memory or mail checks to Tulane University, PO Box 669394, Dallas, TX
75266-9394. Please indicate that the gift is in memory of Mary Land by fully completing the top section of the online giving form, or by including a note or writing a memo on your mailed check. Donations may also be directed to the Louisiana SPCA, 1700 Mardi Gras Blvd, New Orleans, LA 70114, St. Charles Avenue Presbyterian Church, 1545 State St, New Orleans, LA 70118, or to Isidore Newman School, 1903 Jefferson Ave, New Orleans, LA 70115.

Feel free to leave the family your condolences via the guestbook provided.