Mary Starr Charlton
Mary Starr Charlton, age 82, of Santa Fe, NM passed away at the home she shared with her loving husband of 60 years on Monday, January 17, 2022.
Mary Starr was born on February 25, 1939, in Forest City, IA to Marvin and Marion Batchelder, the second of eight children. They moved from Iowa to New York, to Germany for 2 years (after WW2), to Tennessee, to Ohio (where she graduated from high school in a class of 12), and then to Utah. She attended college from 1957-1961 at Colorado State University in Ft. Collins, CO where she met the love of her life, Malcolm Charlton.
On June 17, 1961 Mary Starr was united in marriage to Malcolm, at Clearfield Community Church in UT. They had 3 children and celebrated 60 years of marriage in 2021 surrounded by family and friends.
Mary Starr and Malcolm started their life together in Ely, NV before returning to CSU for graduate school. They then moved to Las Vegas, NV, Malta, MT, Roswell, NM, and finally settled in Santa Fe, NM.
Mary Starr was a faithful member of the First Baptist Church in Santa Fe, NM. She liked to crochet, knit, sew, and cook, with a special love of herding sheep with their border collies. For many years she owned the Son Life Christian Book Store, helped Malcolm with a prison ministry, and supplied the sheep for the live nativity at First Baptist Church. She had a terrific sense of humor, a caring heart, a strong character, and a passionate love of Jesus.
She was preceded in death by her brother Stephen Batchelder, parents Marvin and Marion Batchelder, son-in-law Bob Orlando, and brother-in-law Barry Dunn.
Mary Starr is survived by her husband Malcolm, her children Malcolm Scott (Julie) Charlton of Corrales, NM, Bruce (Amy) Charlton of Saint Cloud, FL and Mary Jane Orlando of Lakewood, CO, seven grandchildren Clayton, Kazimara, Malcolm, Ted, James, Jason, Joshua, and 10 great-grandchildren. Also survived by her sisters and brothers Lucy Ann Dunn, Michael Batchelder, Rebecca Malouff, David Batchelder, Alice Wilson, and John Batchelder.
Memorial Service is Saturday, January 22, 2022 at 2:00 p.m. at First Baptist Church in Santa Fe, NM.
Published by Albuquerque Journal on Jan. 22, 2022.
