Mary Jo (Parks) Hay

Mary Jo Parks Hay, 78, of Columbus, GA died Saturday, July 1, 2023 at her residence. Funeral services will be held 2:00 PM Thursday, July 6, 2023 in the Chapel of McMullen Funeral Home and Crematory with Reverend Mike McBride officiating. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service at the funeral home.  Interment will be held at Parkhill cemetery following the service.

Mary Jo was born August 22, 1944 in Columbus, GA to the late Archie Edgar Parks and Kathryn Logan Parks. She was a music lover and began playing violin at the age of nine and started playing with the Columbus Symphony at the age of 13, playing off and on over the years. She also sang with the “Soft Tones” for a short while, but church was where she sang and played mainly. Mary Jo loved the Lord, family, friends, church and church family. She served in many areas of leadership at Trinity Assembly of God, including 25+ years in the bereavement ministry. She also loved to cook and entertain her friends. Mary Jo’s father put her to work in his real estate office when she was in high school and later she came back and worked several years with her father and brother who in the construction business. Later on she went to work at the Gate Fellowship (church and school) so that she could send her boys to school there.

On January 1, 1982, Mary and her sister, Kay, bought Benefield Florist (they later changed the name to Parks Florist) on Talbotton Rd. and they learned what real work is. Kay retired after five years to care for her invalid husband and Mary Jo ran the shop (which was eventually located on Armour Rd.) alone, but with the help of several of the best employees anyone could have. After 17 years, she sold the shop. For most of the next 16 years she and Bill raised a grandson, Taylor, who enriched her life in so many ways.  God gave him to her to help get through the worst years of grief over losing her son, Kevin Rearden. During this time, her son David married and gave them three wonderful grandchildren. She and Bill had six grandchildren altogether and one very special great-grandson.

Mary Jo would tell anyone that her husband Bill was a precious gift from God. They married in 1989 and enjoyed their lives together, whether traveling to different parts of the world or just staying home and being together. They were able to do quite a bit of traveling before her health declined to the point that she could not walk for any distance.

Other than her parents, she is preceded in death by her husband, William M. Hay and her son Kevin Reardon.

Survivors include her son, David Reardon of Columbus, GA; grandchildren, Bralynn Rearden of Columbus, GA, Logan Reardon of Columbus, GA, John Rearden of Columbus, GA; sister, Kay Parks Thompson of Columbus, GA; brother, Archie Parks of Columbus, GA; nephews, Randolph Logan Thompson (Jill) of Kentucky, Steven Parks Thompson (Julie) of Cataula, GA; and great nephew, Jacob Parks of Columbus, GA.

Flowers will be accepted, those so desiring may make contributions to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital at www.stjude.org.