Born on 18/12/1932 in Londi, Scotland Mary grew up with her four brothers and two sisters. She was the first daughter born and the third child to Peggy and James Coutts. As a young woman Mary joined the Wrens with the British Navy and travelled to Northern Ireland. It was there that she met her husband to be George, who she referred to as Harry. Harry was also with the British Navy and proposed on the first night they met! So it wasn't long before they were married in Londonderry on 12th November 1954. Soon they had settled back in the UK with civilian jobs and a daughter Carol born in 1956. They travelled between England and Scotland living in various places before deciding in 1967 to immigrate to Australia. After settling into South Perth and working for Mother's Pride, delivering bread, Mary became interested in speedway, an amatuer division of motor racing. Not happy just to spectate Mary soon had her own stock car and was competing against the men! Usually placing in the top three and adding a few trophies to her colection Mary loved to race! But her proudest moment was getting a celebrity mention in her home town paper back in Scotland. Mary missed her family in Scotland greatly but had the opportunity to travel there for visits in 1976, 1978 and 1986/7. As well as her family visiting her in Perth when they could. A woman who loved the simple things in life she adored her family and spent a great deal of time with both her grand children Kyla and Stephen. Including a family trip taken to Bali in 1982, were mary became extremely ill will Typhoid. She recovered from this and returned to her usual routine of work and family time, as well as babysitting for the neighbours. Mary's true relaxation was her garden and it was always to be envied with gorgeous flowers in bloom and vegetables galore. Should you be lucky enough to visit her you would always leave with bags of vegetables and a bunch of gerbera's. Quite a crafty lady she was interested in knitting, crotcheting and rug making in her later years. In her retirement she travelled to many places like Malaysia, Indonesia and Northern Territory with her husband and America and Canada with her grand daughter Kyla and great grand daughter Lisa. In 1997 Mary was diagnosed with lung cancer and went on a small trip down south with Kyla and her daughter's Lisa and Sarah, before she was to undergo many treatments to fight the disease. Just after she was diagnosed Mary started collecting teddy bears, continuing right until her last days. Her teddies totalled 1001 and after her passing were donated to children's charities. Whenever she was in hospital she was always smiling accepting her fate gracefully and cheerfully. She had a way of making you feel as though you were the only one that mattered as she happily put down her jigsaw or crossword for a cup of tea and a chat about her latest bears. Mary entered the Murdoch Community Hospice In October 2000 and passed away peacefully on Saturday 18th November surrounded by her family.