Mary Dyson

Mary Frances Caterinichia Dyson (Dolly) passed away peacefully on June 18th at the home of her daughter, Caryl Knight, where she had resided for the past 8 years. She was born on January 23, 1932 in Birmingham, Alabama.

She was raised in a Birmingham Italian neighborhood and attended John Carroll High School where she was a cheerleader and outstanding student. She was married to Lawrence Pennington for several years, had four children and moved numerous times throughout the United States and Germany as a military family. She later married Alfred Dyson who also had four children, and they lived in Eastlake on 64th Street right next to the Birmingham Airport and V.J.’s on The Runway. With 8 children to care for, she never waivered in her love for each of them.

She was a highly recruited medical transcriptionist and was essentially artificial Intelligence before that term was ever invented. She was a die-hard Alabama Football fan and was so proud to be the first cousin of Hall of Famer, Johnny Musso. She was kind and gentle to all she met and had a loving personality that always made one feel that she was genuinely glad to see you.

She is preceded in death by her husband, Alfred Dyson, parents, John and Mary Caterinichia, her sisters Bernice Gonzalez and Anette Sanders, her son, Michael Pennington and her stepsons, Ricky Dyson and Dennis Dyson. She is survived by her daughter, Caryl Knight (Joe), sons Larry Pennington and Johnny Pennington, stepdaughters Mary Ann Murray (Mike) and Karen Guillery, brothers Joe Caterinichia and Alfred Caterinichia (Betty), her Honorary son, Gary Bogamil and numerous grandchildren, great grandchildren nieces and nephews. She was a member of Holy Infant of Prague Catholic Church in Trussville.

A special thanks to the excellent staff and team of ProHealth Home Health and Hospice. The family extends a heartfelt thanks to Anita Phillips for her special care and love she has shown to our family for several years.

Funeral services will be provided by Jefferson Memorial. Visitation will be at Holy Infant Catholic Church in Trussville on June 24 at 10:00 a.m. followed by the funeral service at 11:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.