Mary Helen Macklin Rawls Small, 79, died on Jan. 3, 2005 at Lake Prince Woods in Suffolk. Born Feb. 7, 1925 in Suffolk, she was the daughter of the late Harold H. and Helen Birdsong Macklin, and was also predeceased by her first husband J. Lewis Rawls Jr. She was a 1942 graduate of Suffolk High School and a 1946 graduate of Randolph-Macon Woman’s College in Lynchburg. Mrs. Small had worked as a teacher and was a member of Suffolk Christian Church for more than 50 years.

Mary Helen was an active member and leader of numerous organizations, including the Westover Garden Club and the Suffolk Literary Club.

Her passion was golf. She was taught by her father as a child and she and her late sister, Martha M. Smith played competitively all during their adult years. She was a member of a number of golf organizations, including the Suffolk Golf Association, Tidewater Golf Association and the U.S. Senior Women’s Golf Association. In 1965, she was a runner-up in the Virginia Women’s Amateur Golf Tournament in Hot Springs, Virginia.

She is survived by her husband, Dr. Wilfred T. Small; three children, J. Lewis Rawls III, Rebecca Rawls Habel and Frank M. Rawls; and seven grandsons, James M. Habel IV, Tucker R. Habel, Matthew C. Rawls, J. Lewis Rawls IV, J. Stephen Rawls, Joseph G. Rawls and Michael A. Rawls.

Mary Helen’s family expresses their deep appreciation to all of her caregivers, both private and the Lake Prince staff; and with deepest appreciation to her very special caregiver, Gisele Bradshaw.

A funeral service will be

conducted Friday, Jan. 7, 2005 at 11 a.m. at Suffolk Christian Church with a reception following in the church fellowship hall. Burial will be private. The family will receive visitors at the R. W. Baker and Co. Funeral Home from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 6, 2005.

Memorial donations may be made to the Suffolk Christian Church Memorial Fund at P.O. Box 1457, Suffolk, Va. 23439, Randolph-Macon Woman’s

College at 2500 Rivermont Avenue, Lynchburg, Virginia 24503-1526, or Southeastern Virginia chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, 20 Interstate Corporate Center, Suite 233, Norfolk, Va., 23502

Condolences may be left at www.rwbakerfh.com