Mary Ann Jones Cagle Kretlow lost her valiant battle with uterine/ovarian cancer and died peacefully on January 9, 2019 at the Pine Pointe Hospice facility in Macon, Georgia with her husband by her side. Graveside services were held at 2:00 PM on Friday, January 11, 2019 at the Sparks City Cemetery in Sparks, Georgia with the Reverend John Irwin of Macon, Georgia officiating. The family greeted family and friends at Boone Funeral Home (1804 S. Hutchinson Ave.; Adel, Georgia) one hour prior to the graveside service.

Mary Ann was born on June 30, 1943 in Pekin, Illinois to the late Doctor George Earl Jones and Maude Arlye Davis Jones. She graduated from Cisne High School in Cisne, Illinois in 1961, received a BS degree in primary education from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois in 1965, received an MS degree in education at Carbondale in 1971 and finally earned her MBA from the University of Oklahoma in 1974. After college, Mary Ann had teaching assignments in Ottawa, Illinois, Del Rio, Texas and Snelling, California. She also did modeling in Los Angeles during the early 1970's. She started Cagle Research Services, a market research field service, in Marquette, Michigan in 1974 and operated the company for 34 years with the period from 1979 to 2008 being in Macon.

While working in Macon, Mary Ann was active in Career Womens Network, the American Marketing Association, the Advertising Center Georgia, Georgia Business Owners and the League of Women Voters. She was active in local and state political issues, campaigning for women's equality in the workplace, once meeting with the governor at the Capitol to discuss these issues. She briefly worked for the Equitable Insurance Company during the mid-1980's. She was a chartered life underwriter and certified broker.

She had a big heart and loved to help anyone in need. She spent many hours volunteering at both the clothing and food outreach programs of Mulberry United Methodist Church, the Meals-on-Wheels Program and taught "Dress for Success" for Goodwill Industries. On many occasions she would provide a person in need of clothing a complete outfit even to the point of giving the person the coat off her back.

Mary Ann loved to travel with her husband and did travel extensively in the United States, Canada and Europe for many years after her retirement. She especially enjoyed traveling in Alaska, the Canadian Yukon, Newfoundland and Labrador Canada, the United Kingdom and the western United States.

Finally, at the top of her list was family that she loved dearly and survive her: her loving husband of 31 years, Thomas Kretlow of Macon, Georgia; her daughter April Ann Cagle Derochers (Glenn), her granddaughter Carrie Ann Derochers, her grandson Jackson Earl Derochers (all of Dallas, Georgia), her sister Janis Sue Jones Hendrick (Larry) of Rush City, Minnesota, two devoted step-daughters and their husbands, five adoring step grandchildren and one special little step great-grandson.

Flowers are welcome or donations may be made to Pine Pointe Hospice (6261 Peake Road, Macon, Georgia 31210. Condolences may be expressed to the family via the online guestbook at www.boonefunerals.com. Boone Funeral Home of Adel, Georgia has been entrusted with all arrangements.