WHITE STONE—Mary-Nivin Blundon Stover, 73, of White Stone passed away peacefully on Thursday, September 26, at Memorial Regional Hospital in Mechanicsville, with both of her beloved sons by her side.
Mary-Nivin was the widow of Herbert Wright Stover III, the daughter of Lucy Newton Massey and Harold Gordon Blundon Jr. of Richmond. She is survived by her sons, Gordon Bruce Blundon Stover and Herbert Wright Stover IV (Bert), and her grandson, Herbert Wright Stover V (Quinn).
Born and raised in Richmond, Mary-Nivin spent weekends, summers and holidays in the Northern Neck visiting her grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Nivin Massey of Mount Holly and Mr. and Mrs. Harold Gordon Blundon of Lively. Her time with family lead to a lifelong love and appreciation for the Northern Neck. After high school, Mary-Nivin left Virginia to attend Pfeiffer Junior College in Misenheimer, N.C. While there, Mary-Nivin also pursued her dream to be an airline stewardess. Her efforts were rewarded in 1973 when she began flying with Piedmont Airlines, based out of Winston-Salem, N.C. It was during this endeavor when she met Herb and the two married in 1975.
Mary-Nivin and Herb settled in White Stone in 1980 with their two children, where they opened a restaurant and hotel named The River Crossing at the foot of the Robert O. Norris Bridge on the Rappahannock River. Later, she would dedicate her time to raising her boys while participating in various school, community and volunteer activities. A longtime member of the Women’s Club of White Stone, Mary-Nivin was well known for her generosity and love. She was proud of her Northern Neck roots, her jams, her pickles, her lemon poppy seed cakes and most of all, her sons.
Associate Rector, Pilar Parnell will perform a memorial service at 2 p.m. Saturday, October 19, at Grace Episcopal Church, 303 South Main Street, Kilmarnock. A reception will follow at the Woman’s Club of White Stone, 560 Chesapeake Drive, White Stone. Per Mary-Nivin’s specific request, bright and lively attire is appreciated.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the following organizations dear to Mary-Nivin: Women’s Club of White Stone, P.O. Box 384 White Stone, VA 22578; Animal Welfare League of the Northern Neck Inc., P.O. Box 975, White Stone, VA 22578; The Nature Conservancy, Attn: Treasury, 4245 North Fairfax Drive, Suite 100, Arlington, VA 22203.
