Mari Bec Stapleford Day

Mari Bec Day, 96, of Elon, North Carolina, passed away in the comfort of her family, and assisted by Community Home Care & Hospice Burlington, on August 4, 2022. Born on June 2, 1926 in Denver Colorado, Mari was the wife Robert Benjamin Day who preceded her in death in 2004. She is survived by their four sons, Devin Francis Day and his daughter Sarah Elizabeth Morse Day, W. Marcus Day and wife Deborah Ann, James “Jim” Ronald Day, and David Charles Day and his daughter Jennifer Lynn Perkins, her husband Matthew Arthur, and their children: Cyler Seamus, Brady David, and Leila Diane. She was also preceded in death by daughter-in-law Diane Joan Kaufman Day and great-grandson Robert “Robbie” Samuel Perkins, and her beloved guardian, Helen Louise Stapleford.

Mari’s given name at birth was Marion Louise Becker and was the daughter of Charles Jacob Becker, and Louise Roedel. She was later known as Mari Bec Stapleford, and published under the name Mari Bec. Growing up in Cincinnati, Ohio, she attended the Conservatory of Music, now under the University of Cincinnati, studying theater and dance. She performed annually in summer stock theater productions in historic Saranac Lake, New York. In 1950 her first play, ‘Mr. Vincent’, a one-act comedy (Row-Peterson Publishing, NY) became a popular high school drama class staple. Mari believed in the power of theater, especially for underserved and excluded people to tell their story, and help inspire, enlighten and hopefully change minds, lives, and society for the better.

While studying and teaching Modern Dance at the University of Tampa, she met fellow student, Robert, a WW2 Navy veteran. They were married in Sarasota, Florida on Groundhog Day 1951—it snowed. They later lived in New Jersey where she taught dance and visual arts, and worked as a freelance writer for various trade publications and local newspapers. She was later employed at the New Jersey Press Association in New Brunswick, before finishing her working career in human resources with Roche Biomedical Laboratories in Raritan.

Mari was always engaged where she lived. She did volunteer work for the Leukemia Society. She was a Women’s Club Member, and a founding member of the community organization to restore the Revolutionary War, General John Frelinghuysen House, and convert it into the Raritan Public Library and Museum in the 1970s. Back in Cincinnati during WW2, she served as a junior air raid warden.

Her retirement years in Alamance County were prolific: A member and past President of the Burlington Writer’s Club. In 1993 she wrote and directed the historical-fiction play, ‘Celebration 1893’ for the City of Burlington’s Centennial. Was a member of the Burlington Women’s Club, and served as Chair for Arts and Education committees. She served on the boards of Alamance Children’s Theatre, Gallery Players, and the Alamance Arts Council. She was a docent for the Alamance County Historical Museum, and a member of the Alamance County Historical Association. She was a founding member of the Greensboro Playwrights Forum. And just for shear fun, a member of the Red Hat Society. Mari was a member of the Episcopal Church of the Holy Comforter in Burlington, and served on the Altar Guild. For a time, she maintained co-membership at Front Street United Methodist Church.

A memorial service will be held in the morning 10:00 a.m. on November 25, 2022 at Holy Comforter on Davis Street. There will be a reception in the church afterwards. A graveside service will follow at Magnolia Cemetery in Elon, where Mari’s ashes will be interned beside her husband, daughter-in-law, and great-grandson.

Memorials: In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Alamance Arts Council alamancearts.org/donate , the Endowment Fund of Holy Comforter Episcopal Church hc-b.org , or your favorite charity. Rich & Thompson Funeral and Cremation Service in Burlington is assisting the family. Condolences may be offered online at www.richandthompson.com.

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