Billie Miriam Brantley "MaryAnne" Dale

Billie Miriam Brantley “MaryAnne” Dale, 78, passed away on Sun. Dec. 8, 2024, at St. Dominic Memorial Hospital in Jackson, MS. Visitation will be held on Thurs. Dec. 12, 2024, from 9am-11am at Brandon Baptist Church located at 100 Brandon Baptist Dr. Brandon, MS 39042. Funeral Services are 11am at Brandon Baptist Church with burial to follow in the Crestview Memorial Gardens in Brandon, MS. Ott & Lee Funeral Home in Brandon, MS is handling arrangements.

 Mrs. Dale was born Billie Miriam Brantley on Oct. 21, 1946, in Kosciusko, MS to the late Rev. Billie B. Brantley and Miriam Gee Brantley. She later adopted the nickname “MaryAnne” as a young adult. Her father was a United Methodist Church pastor, so she started playing the piano and organ and sang in his churches from a very young age.

Mrs. Dale began playing the flute in junior high school and became 1st chair flute player in the Kosciusko junior high and high school bands and received the John Philip Sousa Award as the outstanding band musician. She was also a member of the prestigious Mississippi Lions All State Band. She graduated from Kosciusko High School in 1964. Mrs. Dale played 1st chair flute in the Mississippi State University Symphonic Band and sang in the MSU University Choir and the Madrigal Singers. She received a B.A. in Music Education from MSU in 1968.

Mrs. Dale entered MSU graduate school in 1969, where she met and married the love of her life, Larry Dale, an engineering graduate student, who was also a member of the MSU Maroon Band. She received her M.A. in Music from MSU in 1970. MaryAnne and Larry were married in the MSU Chapel of Memories in 1970.

Together, they made their first home in Chattanooga, TN where Larry worked for TVA. They returned to Mississippi, settling in Brandon, in 1973 when Larry accepted a position at Entergy Corp. Mrs. Dale worked with the Mississippi Department of Education, Disability Determination Services from 1974-1980. She began as a disability examiner and later received promotions to supervisor and then manager. In 1975, she and Larry had their one son, Christopher Brantley Dale. He serves as the Chaplain of the Baptist International Seafarers Missions Center in Charleston, SC. Mrs. Dale was recognized as statewide “Examiner of the Year” in 1976, and also served one term as president of the Mississippi Association of Disability Examiners. She later resigned, choosing to become a full-time mom and homemaker.

Mrs. Dale loved playing the flute and singing in church. She sang in “Carols by Candlelight” for several years while she was a member of First Baptist Church in Jackson. She continued playing her flute throughout life, along with Larry playing his trumpet, in church orchestras and the state wide Mississippi Baptist Symphony Orchestra.

MaryAnne and Larry loved to travel and go on cruises and have been to Alaska, Hawaii, Canada, Israel, and 22 countries in Europe. Throughout life, Christian faith has been very important to MaryAnne and she has maintained an active church life of attendance, worship, evangelism, fellowship and service. She spent many years as a faithful student in ladies Explorer’s Bible Study. Mrs. Dale was a devoted member of Brandon Baptist Church in Brandon, MS.

She is survived by her husband, Larry Dale; son, Christopher Dale; sister, Carolyn Steen and several nieces and nephews. Mrs. Dale is also preceded in death by a brother-in-law, Mike Steen.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Explorers Bible Study and you may donate through their website at www.ebshome.org.