Dr. Mary Ellen McManaway, 74, born June 20, 1950, in Roanoke, passed away peacefully on Jan. 8, 2025. Mary was the middle child of Charles and Zaman McManaway and grew up in Roanoke, along with her two sisters, Phyllis McManaway Woodson of Virginia Beach, and Linda McManaway McCraw and husband Jack of Dublin. Mary was close to her one special niece Ellen Woodson Pelton, husband Matt and three children, Davis, Alex and Brandon of Virginia Beach.
Mary started succeeding in school at an early age by first appearing on Klassroom Kwiz sponsored by WDBJ7 in the early 196o’s. After graduating from William Fleming High School, she started her educational career at Ferrum Junior College for her associate’s degree followed by her Bachelor of Science degree at Virginia Tech in Biology with a minor in Art Education, followed by her master’s degree in biology at the University of Richmond and lastly her Ph.D. in Zoology at Howard University in Washington, D.C. All her educational achievements were made with the encouragement of her mother who valued higher education.
Mary’s passion for science led her to work as a scientist where she performed daily experiments in the lab conducting cancer research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Md. She also worked with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for a short while. Mary received at least two awards: Outstanding Research Scholar while at Howard University and Outstanding Performance Award at NIH. Mary wrote 24 research articles and presented 11 research abstracts at national meetings in the U. S. As a gifted artist, she often did her own art illustrations in many of these research articles. She traveled to Europe many times including Italy, Germany and Ireland.
The family of Mary would like to thank the nursing staff at Highland Ridge Nursing Home in Dublin, and the numerous CNAs for their dedicated care, and Good Samaritan Hospice staff for their help during Mary’s final journey home.
The family will receive friends 10 – 11 a.m. Friday, Jan. 17, 2025, at the Mullins Funeral Home in Radford, Virginia. Funeral services will begin at 11 a.m. Interment will be private.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you consider donating to the Alzheimer’s Association at alz.org or to Good Samaritan Hospice at goodsam.care.
The McManaway family is in the care of Mullins Funeral Home & Crematory in Radford.