Mary Florene Walker Blackstone was a loving and caring person who took care of her customers during her 47 years at Bank of Commerce, colleagues and family say.
“She taught me customer service is probably one of the most important aspects of banking,” said Jerry Ables, chief operating officer and executive vice president of the bank. “For somebody right out of college that didn’t know anything about banking, she was very instrumental in giving me the building blocks in establishing my career.”
Mrs. Blackstone, 78, known as “Mary Flo,” died Monday at Golden Age Nursing Home. Visitation will be from 5 to 7 this evening at Wilson & Knight Funeral Home and from 1 p.m. Thursday until the 2 p.m. service at First United Methodist Church, where she was a member.
Mrs. Blackstone, a Clarksdale native, had lived in Greenwood since 1960. She graduated from Leflore County High School in 1958 and earned an associate’s degree from Mississippi Delta Junior College.
She began her career in finance at the age of 19 as a “runner.” She served as a bank officer starting in 1985 and was assistant cashier when she retired.
In a 2004 Commonwealth article about the 100th anniversary of Bank of Commerce, Mrs. Blackstone, then a 45-year employee, said the bank’s personnel had been a source of its strength.
“We’re a friendly bank,” she said. “We treat all of our customers equally.”
Brian Thornhill, chief executive officer of the bank, worked with Mrs. Blackstone more than 20 years and said he had known her since he was 6.
“She was dedicated to her customers. She took care of her customers and took pride of it,” he said.
It was not only her customer service that made her well known but also her professionalism.
“Mary Flo was an unbelievable asset to the Bank of Commerce. She was professional, she was knowledgeable and she looked out for her customers,” said Betty DuBard of DuBard Realty.
“We just can’t find that type of one-on-one service anymore with all financial institutions.”
Mrs. Blackstone is remembered for signaling customers when they were about overdraw their checking accounts. She would call but would never say a person’s account was going to be overdrawn. Rather she would say, “You may want to come see me.”
If Mrs. Blackstone was calling, everyone knew what the call was about, DuBard said.
Mrs. Blackstone’s son, Edward, said several people have told him how grateful they were for her phone calls. He said they also told him her smile was infectious.
“Everyone that came into contact with Mom always commented on her smile,” he said.
Outside work, Mrs. Blackstone loved spending time with her family, especially her granddaughter Molley.
Edward, an only child, said he loved being with his mother, and seeing “her light up and smile” made his day.
nContact Lauren Randall at 581-7239 or lrandall@gwcommonwealth.com.
