Mary Virginia ‘Dinny’ Mayer-Vaughan

Published 3:23 pm Saturday, January 25, 2025

Mary Virginia “Dinny” Mayer-Vaughan passed away on Friday, December 13, 2024 at her home in Hamburg, Germany after battling an illness over the past two years.

Dinny was born on September 9, 1945 in Norwich, England to Henry A Vaughan, Jr and  Mary Barbara Dunster. After the end of World War II, Henry moved the new family from England, where he had been stationed as a Major in the US Army Air Force, to his hometown of Selma, Alabama. Two years after their arrival in Selma, Dinny’s sister Amy was born. Not happy in America, Barbara separated from Henry and secretly left Selma for her mother England, taking both children with her without Henry’s knowledge or consent. In what could have been the basis for a thrilling mystery novel, Henry arranged for private detectives to locate young Dinny and Amy in London and covertly return them to his rightful custody in Selma.

In 1952, Henry married Martha Christine Radford of Selma, who then became Dinny’s adoptive mother. Christine brought her 7 year old son Jarman Russell (nicknamed “Trot”) into the family from a previous marriage. When younger brother Henry III was born in 1954, the family was complete.

Dinny attended Tremont Elementary School and later graduated from AG Parrish High School in 1963.  During her school years, Dinny was active in the AG Parrish band as a flutist and became a dedicated ballet dancer, with ballet becoming one of her lifelong passions. After high school, Dinny attended Catawba College in Salisbury, North Carolina where she graduated in 1967.

Upon graduation Dinny and a close college friend traveled via ocean liner to Hamburg, Germany with plans to stay for one year before returning home. Dinny fell in love with Germany and decided to stay.  She soon met her future husband, Otto Mayer. They were married in 1970 in Bochum, Germany and honeymooned in Ibiza on the Mediterranean Sea. They subsequently had three daughters, Henrike in 1974, Marita Josephine in 1976, and Amy Susanna in 1980.

Dinny lived a very active and fulfilling life in Germany. In addition to helping raise a tight knit family she taught English lessons, was a devoted member of her church, enjoyed the opera, traveled extensively, and was active in many institutions that she found worthy. She loved big hats and glitzy dresses and having “fashion shows” with her grandchildren. Everyone was her friend, and she maintained many lifelong friendships both in this country and in Germany. Her unconditional love and friendship will surely be missed by all who crossed her path.

Dinny is survived by her devoted husband of fifty five years, Otto Mayer, her three daughters, Henrike Péresse, Marita Mayer, and Amy Geisler; her brother, Henry A Vaughan III; and her six grandchildren. Her family will hold a remembrance in Hamburg at a later date.