ULREY, MARY LYNN EDWARDS, 71, of Tampa and Bryson City, passed away at home into the arms of her Lord and Savior on January 10, 2023. Mary Lynn was born in Tampa, Florida on July 31, 1951 to W. F. & Louise Edwards and was raised in Dade City, Florida. She was a graduate of Pasco High School and the University of Florida and received her Master’s degree in nursing from the University of South Florida. Mary Lynn was a local leader in the healthcare community and the Tampa Bay community at large. After serving as head nurse of the psychiatric ward at Tampa General Hospital in the 1980s, she became a registered nurse practitioner and highly regarded executive in the healthcare field. She served as chief operating officer of Charter Hospital and then in the same role with Operation PAR, before then spending two decades as chief executive officer of DACCO Behavioral Health. She had retired in 2020.
Mary Lynn was a strong Christian and was an active member of Hyde Park United Methodist Church – including many years of singing in the choir. She was most passionate about her family, and was always interested in “family time” and supporting her family members in any way she could. The great pride of her life was her two sons, William & Mark. Her devotion to them and sacrifices for them - for many years as a working, single mother- are something for which they are both eternally grateful. Her greatest joy, however, was undoubtedly her role as Grandmama. Nothing fulfilled her more than her grandchildren - whom she loved dearly and who loved her.
Mary Lynn was predeceased by her parents, and by her granddaughter, Kate Stainton. She is survived by her husband, Steve Ulrey, her sons, William M. Stainton (daughter-in-law, Joanne) and LaMarcus “Mark” Stainton (daughter-in-law, Allison) of Tampa, FL, her grandchildren, William Edwards Stainton, Adaline Hebert Stainton and Amelia Edwards Stainton, and her sister, Louise Edwards Roberts.
A funeral service will be held on Friday, January 20, 2023 at 11:00am at Hyde Park United Methodist Church, 500 West Platt Street, Tampa, Florida. In lieu of flowers, gifts may be made in Mary Lynn’s memory to Hyde Park United Methodist Church or charity of choice.