Mary Haynsworth Mathews, 94, daughter of Mrs. Madeline Bedell Haynsworth. Mary grew up in Greenville, South Carolina. a long-time resident of Caesar's Head, South Carolina, with many ties to the Brevard community, died on Friday, May 6, 2011, in Greenville, South Carolina, after a brief illines.

A native of Greenville, with a life-long interest in the performing arts, was kindled in childhood, at age 15 when she was senior at Greenville High School, she wrote a one-act play based on the short poem "The Mountain Woman" by Dulcose Heywood, Arthur of the book and the libretto for "Porgy and Bess."Heywood and his wife Dorothy who came up from Charleston to see it. She attended Winthrop College and in 1937 graduated from University of Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she majored in drama, Her professional career was launched in 1937 where she performed in the first production of "The Lost Colony" at Roanoke Island, In 1938 she won a scholarship to the Chekhov Theater Studio in England, directed by Michael Chekhov, nephew of Anton Chekhov. In 1939 the Chekhov Theater moved to the United States and located in Ridgefield, Connecticut. For the next few years the company toured the eastern half of the country. During this time she appreared in two Broadway Productions, including "Twelfth Night" in 1941 where she played the part of Maria. In 1942 - 1944 she acted in the Summer Stock Companies, primarily in the theater in Olney, Maryland. In 1945 she joined the American Red Cross and served in England, France and Germany. She was a donut girl in the Clubmobile in LeHavre, France, where she meet every plane, train and ship that came and went. She also served in a club on several airbases. The Gi's like donuts and coffee, but they liked jitterbugging more. After WWII was over she was stationed in Germany and ran a clubmobile. In the little country towns there was nothing for the soldiers to do, so they were always hoping to see the Red Cross Volunteers arrive. After her return to the United States in 1946, she joined the Broadway show "The Big People." She played the character of a "little person" where she as wife of a "big person" played by George Mathews. The play was a flop, but the romance was on. Mary Haynsworth and George Mathews were married in 1951.


After Mary married actor George Matthews, they traveled extensively, Mr. Mathews performed in movies and on stages. During one of their trips to Greenville, Mrs. Mathews starred in the Greenville Little Theater production of "Harvey." The couple lived in Hollywood and New York City. In 1974, George Mathews retired and they moved from New York City to Caesar's Head settling into the mountain community stretching between Caesar's Head and Brevard, North Carolina. After her husband died in November 7, 1984, she continued to live in her mountaintop home overlooking the "Dismal" foothills with Table Rock in the distant.


She loved life, her friends and her cats. Her special community interests was to collect bread from a Greenville bakery and deliver it weekly to Sharing House of Brevard, North Carolina. 


Her last theater performance was at the Greenville Little Theater, staring in "Love Letters" with E. G. Marshall. In addition to theater, she was a life-long dancer and studied with the Martha Graham Group in New York. She taught dance for 69 years, including a series of classes in Greenville and Brevard. For 20 years a weekly dance series was held at the Brevard-Davidson River Church in Brevard, North Carolina.


In 1997 she was featured in "Women Recall the War Years", a book edited and published by Brevard author, the late George L. McDemott.


In 2006, Mrs. Mary Mathews moved down the mountain to spend her last years with a niece, Mary de Monerey, in Greenville, South Carolina. She is survived by her sister, Madeline Haynsworth Chandler; niece Mary de Monterey; nephew, Allen Chandler, wife Terry, and daughters, Amy and Allison; nephew, Walt Chandler, wife Ann, daughter, Anna; niece, Eva Chandler; niece, Madeline Fletcher, husband (Parrish), daughter, Madaline.


Graveside service was held on Monday, May 9, 2011 at 3:00 at Christ Episcopal Church Cemetery in Greenville, South Carolina. Friends will be received following the services at the home of Walt and Ann Chandler.