Mary B. Waddle

Funeral services for Mary B. Waddle, 91, will be held on Saturday, June 20, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. at Rose-Neath Funeral Home, 2500 Southside Dr. in Shreveport, Louisiana. Burial will follow at Springridge Cemetery in Pleasant Hill, Louisiana. A visitation will be held on Friday, June 19, 2026 at the funeral home from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Officiating the service will be Associate Pastor of Fellowship Community Church, Steve Gilley.

Mary was born on February 10,1935, to Joseph and Annie Balzrette in Coushatta, Louisiana and passed away on Friday, June 12, 2026, in Shreveport.

Mary’s dedication to nurturing children at Calvary Daycare made her a beloved figure, inspiring growth, learning, and joy in every child she interacted with. Mary worked tirelessly each day, arriving early to prepare activities that would both educate and entertain the children. She found joy in the simple milestones: a toddler saying their first words, a preschooler mastering counting, or a shy child finally sharing a toy with a friend. Her classroom was filled with warmth, laughter, and creativity, reflecting her genuine love for teaching and her nurturing personality.

Mary’s work at the daycare was more than just a job—it was a vocation. She treated each day as an opportunity to make a lasting difference in young lives, planting seeds of knowledge, kindness, and curiosity that would grow long after they left her care. Her enthusiasm and compassion left a profound impression on families, colleagues, and most importantly, the children whose futures she was helping to shape.

Mary is preceded in death by her parents, Joseph and Annie Balzrette; husband, Sevelle Waddle, Sr.; son, Sevelle Waddle, Jr. (Bubba); four brothers; four sisters; and several nieces and nephews.

Left to cherish her memory is her son, Gene Waddle and wife, Wendy; daughters, Annie Melvin and husband, Rickey, and Lynn McKown; six grandchildren, Shawn McKown and wife, Courtney, Marylynn Gooden and husband, Josh, Shelby McKown and Danielle Herrera, Rickey Melvin, Jr., Brock Melvin, and Shae Waddle; and 10 great-grandchildren, Rilee, Mia, Kinley, Isaiah, Elijah, Carter, Faith, Malachi, Grace, and Adie Jean.

Honoring Mary as pallbearers will be Rickey Melvin, Jr., Brock Melvin, Shawn McKown, Shelby McKown, Dylan Waddle, and Tommy Ford.