Mary Selden McDuffie was born April 16, 1935 in Bedford, Virginia to the late Lillian Calloway Selden and Joseph Majors.  She was the seventh of nine siblings, five sisters and three brothers.  Mary departed this life on December 28, 2023.  She was preceded in death by two sisters Francis Woods (Garrison) and Mattie Greene (Ivan Sr.); three brothers Wiley Selden (Inez), Wellington Selden, Sr. (Peggy), and Raymond Seldon, Sr. (Vivian); three brothers-in-law Harry Lowry, Melvin Hunter and Eugene Medlock.

Mary accepted Christ at a young age and was baptized at Washington Street Baptist Church under the direction of Reverend Sutton.  She was very active at Washington Street where she worked as a Junior Usher and sang in the Junior Choir.  Mary loved her church and actively participated.

Mary attended Bedford Training School from the first to twelfth grade.  Her class was the first to matriculate all 12 years at BTS.  She was very active in sports but loved basketball.  Mary completed her education at BTS in 1953.  Mary continued her education at Norfolk Division of Virginia State College which is now known as Virginia State University where she received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology.  She later received her Master's Degree in Guidance and Counseling from Hampton Institute, now known as Hampton University.  Although Mary was dedicated to her studies she did fall in love and married the late Willie McDuffie of Portsmouth, VA.

On June 8, 1974, Mary was initiated into the Gamma Delta Omega Chapter of her beloved sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. Mary was an active member for 49.5 years.  She was very involved with the organization attending Regional Conferences and Boules'.  She was also a very active member of the Alpha Chi Chapter of the Phi Delta Kappa, Sorority, Incorporated, a professional organization of women in the field of education, where she attended many conferences throughout the United States and once served as the Basileus (President) of her chapter.

Mary began her career in education in 1963 and served as both a 4th-grade Teacher at Mt. Herman Elementary School and later as a Guidance Counselor at Churchland Middle School, Portsmouth, VA, where she worked for most of her career.  She lovingly mentored and guided children in the Portsmouth School System before retiring after 37.5 years.

Mary continued her journey with Christ at the Noble Street Baptist Church, now under the direction of Reverend Henry Jones.  She became a member in 1974 and was a devoted supporter of the church program, "Joy For Children."  Mary was a faithful and dedicated member of the Senior Usher Board until she could no longer attend church.

Those left to cherish her memory, love, and life are her three sisters Savator Lowry, Anne Hunter, and Marionette Medlock. Her dedicated and loving nephews, nieces, and special friends who enjoyed her love, sense of humor, and deeply cherished, and will sorely miss their time with her.