Mary Ellen St John

Mary Ellen Heine St John, passed away at her residence in Tifton, Georgia, on Saturday, August 29, 2026. She was born on March 24, 1928, in Wauchula, Florida, and had lived in Tifton since she was nineteen years old. She lived a long life marked by devotion to her family, her church, and the simple pleasures that brought her joy.

Funeral services will be held at 4:00 P.M. on Saturday, September 5, 2026 at Albritton Funeral Directors with Rev. Brad Baker officiating. Interment will follow at Zion Hope Baptist Church Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 2:30 to 3:45 P.M. at the funeral home before the service.

John Hamill, Phillip Spader and Nicholas Spader will serve as pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers will be Fred Barnes, Terry Hawkins and Jerry Hawkins.

After graduating from high school, Mary went on to work for Fitzgerald Underwear for twenty years. She was a woman of steady commitment, and that same faithful spirit could be seen throughout her life. She was a member of Zion Hope Baptist Church of Tifton for sixty plus years, and she gave generously of herself as a volunteer at the nursing home, where she headed up the bingo games. Her kindness and willingness to serve others left a lasting impression on those around her.

She also enjoyed the everyday things that made life rich and memorable. She loved flowers, yard sales, and puzzles, and she was an avid reader. Though she did not like to cook, everything she prepared was wonderful, a detail her family will surely remember with affection and a smile.

Mary is survived by her daughters, Patricia Spader and her husband, Gilbert, and Pamela Gail Willis and her husband, James. She also leaves behind seven grandchildren, Connie, Lynn, Jamie, Stuart, Nicholas, Phillip, and Jonathan; seven great grandchildren and one great great grandchild, who carry forward her memory with love. The family she cherished so deeply will continue to remember her with gratitude for the care, strength, and warmth she shared throughout her life.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Marvin St. John; her son, Wayne Allen St. John; her father, George Heine Sr.; her mother, Jeffie Parrish Heine; and her brothers, Robert Heine, George Heine Jr., and Allen “Pete” Heine.

Mary Ellen St John will be remembered for her faithful service, her love for her family, and the quiet joys that filled her days. Her life was a blessing, and her memory will be treasured by those who knew and loved her.

Albritton Funeral Directors is in charge of arrangements.