Adella Staley Obituary

Adella (aka Pat or Patsy) Dunning Stalvey, widow of Dr. A. Derrick Stalvey of Georgetown, passed away peacefully surrounded by her family on July 10, 2022.

Pat was born Feb 15, 1932 to Adella Weber Dunning & Herbert Frazer Dunning. She was known in her hometown of Summerville, SC as "Patsy", but was dubbed "Pat" by her husband. She graduated from Summerville High School & Winthrop College where she received her B.S. in elementary education. While at Winthrop, she met the brother of a close friend/classmate & a romance began. Following graduation from Winthrop, she taught at Pinewood School in Summerville. After getting married, the couple moved to Georgetown, SC where they started his dental practice. Pat worked in the dental practice until they started a family.

Her hobbies included gardening, painting, tennis, knitting, & all types of needlework. An excellent seamstress, she especially enjoyed smocking clothes for her children & grandchildren and making, organdy "Charleston bonnets" for little girls. She was an avid reader and longtime member of a book club. She was an excellent cook & loved to entertain, hosting and co-hosting a multitude of parties over the years, always making it seem effortless. She.and her husband were members of a monthly supper club that went on for over 40 years.

Pat was a member of Prince George Winyah Parish Church where she was a member of St. Anne's Chapter. She was a past member & chairman of the altar guild, twice chairman of The Annual Plantation Tours and active volunteer for those tours every year. She was a past docent at Prince George and a member of numerous church committees & bible study groups.

In the past, she held many volunteer positions. Some of those included docent at The Kaminski House Museum, volunteer at Georgetown Memorial Hospital, and volunteer Rotary reader at Kensington Elementary School.

Pat was devoted to her family & her church. She had an all encompassing love for both which could not be denied. She & her husband had a strong faith that was their compass throughout their lives. Thought of by her children & grandchildren as the supreme role model of a mother & grandmother, her life exemplified grace & elegance. She was the consummate hostess, the epitome of a steel magnolia, a strong southern woman. She was a 24 yr breast cancer survivor with each of those days being a miraculous gift & blessing to her family. She was happiest when doing things for her children, grandchildren, friends, and those in need. Her three favorite places in the world were her beloved hometown of Summerville, her "adopted" hometown of Georgetown, and her house in the mountains of North Carolina.

She is survived by her three children, Dorothy (Dottie) Powell and her husband Col.

John W. Powell Jr. of Mt. Pleasant, Ellen Stalvey of Georgetown, John Stalvey and his wife Julie of Georgetown; 5 grandchildren, Lauren Powell Pendarvis and her husband Dr. Allen Pendarvis of Charleston, Dr. John W. Powell III and his wife Dr. Kristin Powell of Houston, TX, Caroline Stalvey of Mt Pleasant, William (Bill) Stalvey of Mt. Pleasant, and David Stalvey of Mt Pleasant; one great-grandchild, John Wellington Powell IV (Wells) of Houston, TX; one sister, Katherine Dunning Calhoun of Waynesville, NC, one brother, Herbert (Buzzie) Dunning of Greensboro, NC, and 10 much loved nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her husband, Dr. Derrick Stalvey, of Georgetown.

The family would like to thank all of Pat's faithful caregivers, her Tidelands Hospice aides & nurses for the kind, tireless, and dedicated care they gave to her over the past three years. Their help has been appreciated more than they will ever know & we will be forever grateful to them.

Memorials can be made to Prince George Winyah Anglican Church in Georgetown and Tidelands Community Hospice.

Funeral Services will be two o'clock Thursday, July 14, 2022, at Prince George Winyah Church. Burial will follow in the churchyard.

The family will receive friends Wednesday, July 13, 2022, at Mayer-Ethridge Funeral Home from five until seven o'clock

Please sign a guestbook at: www.mayerfuneralhome.com.

The Georgetown Chapel of Mayer-Ethridge Funeral Home is assisting the family.