Mary Lynne Calhoun

Sandy Spring, Maryland – Dr. Mary Lynne Calhoun, 77, died peacefully on May 21, 2023, due to complications of heart failure. She was born in Huntington, WV, on June 15, 1945, the daughter of the late Boyd Jarrell and Mary Katherine Estler Jarrell. Survivors include her beloved husband of 55 years, Dr. Lawrence Gibson Calhoun; daughter and son-in-law Eliza Katherine Calhoun and Joseph Bradley Keady, Harpers Ferry, WV; daughter and son-in-law Mary Laura Calhoun and Kevin Joseph Bogardus, Washington, DC; and grandchildren Isabel Katherine Bogardus and Malcolm Gibson Bogardus, Washington, DC.

Mary Lynne served as Dean of the College of Education at UNC Charlotte from 1999 until her retirement in 2013. She loved this work because she understood that equitable, excellent education opened doors for young people and that caring, competent teachers are essential. She provided leadership in developing doctoral programs, developed a career path for second-career professionals who wished to become teachers, and supported the development of one of the largest, strongest undergraduate programs in the state. Her tenure was marked by a commitment to diversity and a focus on the internationalization of teacher education. Prior to her service as Dean, she held a faculty position in special education, emphasizing early intervention for children with special needs. Upon her retirement, the University named the College of Education atrium in her honor.

Mary Lynne and Lawrence met in their undergraduate years as camp counselors at Camp Massanetta in Harrisonburg, VA. They married at graduation and supported each other through graduate school. Mary Lynne taught children with special needs in Ohio, Michigan, Georgia, and South Carolina. Lawrence joined the faculty at UNC Charlotte in 1973 while Mary Lynne finished her doctoral studies and then taught at Winthrop University. She joined the faculty of UNC Charlotte in 1982. Together, Mary Lynne and Lawrence grew up with UNC Charlotte and watched with great admiration its transformation to a doctoral research university

Mary Lynne graduated from Huntington (WV) High School as salutatorian and received a National Merit Scholarship, received the AB in English from Randolph-Macon Woman’s College (now Randolph College) in Lynchburg, VA, where she was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and the M.Ed. and Ph.D. in special education from the University of Georgia. She received the honorary doctorate in educational sciences from the Ludwigsburg (Germany) University of Education. Her board service included the United Way of Central Carolinas, the Socrates Academy, and the Cooperative Christian Ministry in Higher Education. Mary Lynne was a member of Covenant Presbyterian Church where she served as an Elder.
In retirement, Mary Lynne enjoyed international travel with Lawrence, family, and friends, especially enjoying the ancient worlds of Israel, Greece, and Italy. In 2020, she and her husband moved to Friends House Retirement Community (Sandy Spring, MD) in order to be closer to their daughters. She was a devotee of Broadway musicals and loved movies, with a special interest in dark World War II movies where ordinary people found extraordinary courage. One favorite part of each year was the “Calhoun Beach Week of Total Indulgence,” led by her beloved Lawrence, at Sunset Beach, NC, with family and friends gathering to join in the fun. Her greatest joy was watching her daughters grow into the persons they were meant to be – loving, caring, and striving to make the world a fairer and more just place.

As was her wish, Mary Lynne’s remains will be cremated. A memorial will be planned at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts can be made to either of these organizations:
UNC Charlotte Cato College of Education: Checks can be made out to the UNC Charlotte Foundation, 9201 University City Blvd., Charlotte, NC 28223. Note “ML Calhoun-Cato Ed” in the memo section. To give online, please visit https://giving.charlotte.edu/ and select Cato College of Education under the “Colleges and Schools” button.
Covenant Presbyterian Church: Checks can be made out to Covenant Presbyterian Church, 1000 E. Morehead Street, Charlotte, NC 28204. Note “ML Calhoun” in the memo section.