Mary Becht Holcomb

Mary Becht Holcomb passed peacefully on April 25, 2020, at her home in Fort Pierce, Florida, with loved ones in attendance. Mary was born in Miami, Florida in 1925 to Wilson and Ina Presley, at least a third generation Floridian. In 1946 she would marry her first husband, Charles E. Becht, Sr., and move to Fort Pierce, Florida, where they established their home, law business and family. Mary was active in the First United Methodist Church, and various local women’s clubs. She was also a regular student at the local community college, now State College. She took courses in furniture re-finishing and re-upholstering, China Painting, and anything else that interested her always curious mind. As a child of the Great Depression, she was a lifelong seamstress. Annually she would painstakingly make elaborate, and embarrassing matching outfits for her sons to wear to Easter Sunday at the Church. And, she would make the curtains for the family home, and reupholstering the furniture as needed. She would also try, during the summer vacation months, to teach her reluctant children how to paint the family home; inside and out. Some of her contributions to the Church were to the costume closet for Christmas and Easter pageants, and donating books to the Church library with interesting volumes on Christian research and literature. She was an avid bridge player at the Pelican Yacht Club and elsewhere, and a voracious reader, belonging to several book clubs in the area and accumulating an extensive personal library of books on a diverse range of topics, fiction and nonfiction.

After Charlie’s untimely death in 1977 Mary was lucky enough to find love a second time, and married Edward L. Holcomb and moved to Toccoa, Georgia. In Toccoa, she was able to spend precious time with her mother, father, sister, nephew and nieces. Also, while living in Georgia, Mary was able to finish her college education and graduated with honors while in her 60’s with a Bachelor of Arts. Mary and Ed Holcomb eventually retired to Fort Pierce where they could put their toes in the sand on North Beach.

Mary is survived by her children, Charles and Beverly Noelke Becht, Jr., of Tucker, Georgia; Edward and Colleen Nash Becht of Fort Pierce, Florida; Carol and Ken Twiddy of Watersound, Florida, and Edward L. and Teresa Holcomb, Jr., of Alpharetta, Georgia; and Susan and Glenn Hunsucker of Conover, North Carolina. Mary has nine grandchildren: David Kirkpatrick, Candice Becht Vance, Chad Becht, Brian Becht, Allie Wetzel, Drake Wetzel, Douglas Stark, William Holcomb, and Michael Holcomb, and five great grandchildren, Sullivan Vance, Cameron Vance, Tyler Skolozynski, Joshua Skolozynski, and Zackary Skolozynski.

Mary was predeceased by her loving husbands, Charles E. Becht, Sr. and Edward L. Holcomb, Sr., her siblings Wilson V. Presley of Atlanta, Georgia and Jean Thompson of Toccoa, Georgia, and her daughter Barbara Jean Becht Kirkpatrick. She would tell us that life taught her how to love, and how to forgive.

Due to Covid 19, there will be no viewing, and the brief graveside services will be limited to family only. In lieu of flowers, please consider sending contributions to the Treasure Coast Hospices, 1201 SE Indian Street, Stuart, FL 34997, or to your favorite charity in memory of Mary.