My Friend, Rose, lost her 28 year old daughter, Mary, in a tragic car accident early Tuesday morning. Her young and precious life was taken by a drunk driver. Mary was a year older than my daughter, April, and I watched Mary grow up. She was the sweetest and cutest child and was always happy. My heart cannot even imagine what Rose is going through as a Mother. Below is part of the newspaper article. I do not have a picture of Mary.
A young woman lost her life in an early morning traffic accident Tuesday and the man who allegedly hit her faces multiple charges.
Mary Arliss Couey, 28, of Vineyard Road, died at the scene of the 12:30 a.m. accident on U.S. 64 West, near Chunky Gal Stables.
“Mary loved hiking, camping, growing vegetables and fruit,” her mother Rose Couey said. “She also loved to cook and sew. She was looking at starting a business making purses.”
Couey was engaged to Tony DeMarco, of Hayesville. The couple planned a June 20 wedding. Mary and DeMarco had been engaged for about two years but knew each other their whole life. He was hiking the Appalachian Trail and had to be located to be told of Mary’s death.
“Mary was always smiling,” Rose said. “She was everybody’s angel. She would help anyone, anywhere.”
About two years ago when Mary was on her way to work across the mountain, she came around a curve and saw a car overturned. Her mother said Mary rushed to the car and pulled a mother and child out. She waited with them until paramedics arrived.
“That was just the way she was,” Rose said. “One of her friends called her an old soul.”
Mary was the middle of three children. Her sister, Julie Apple said Mary was very generous and always trying to help her out. Younger brother Daniel was also close to Mary. He is awaiting an organ transplant and Mary championed the cause of organ donation.
“She was an organ donor, but because of the accident and the autopsy, that can’t happen,” Rose said. “I wish I could make that other driver realize what he did. He stole her life and he stole her ability to save other’s lives. This is what drunk driving does. He took everything away from me.”
“Mary was the glue that held us together,” Apple said. “She would laugh at the drop of a hat. It would always make me feel good when I could tell her a funny story and make her laugh. She was so quick witted.”
Mary is survived by her parents Kerry and Rose Couey, her sister Julie Apple, her brother Daniel and nieces and nephews. Her aunt and uncle Carol and Donald Couey and uncle John Couey live in Clay County.
As the family waits for the autopsy and makes arrangements to celebrate Mary’s life, Rose hopes people will take the time to honor her daughter’s memory. Donations can be made in her memory to her brother’s transplant fund at www.gatransplant.org/client/dcouey. They can also become an organ donor or make a donation to Mothers Against Drunk Driving, Rose said.
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