Marie Stull Crosby

Marie Stull Crosby, age 89, of Dalton, Georgia, passed away peacefully on February 21, 2026.

She was born on December 7, 1936, in Birmingham, Alabama, to Dr. Rufus M. Coffman and Ruth Ellis Coffman.

She attended Shades Valley High School in Birmingham, Alabama, where she graduated before continuing her education at Auburn University. There, she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Fashion and Design. During her time at Auburn, she was also a proud member of the Alpha Gamma Delta Sorority.

Marie began her professional career at Montage’s Stationery, designing greeting cards that she hand painted prior to printing. She later married Thomas Emerson Stull, and in the early 1960s, the couple moved to Dalton, Georgia, for a career opportunity with Textile Rubber.

She worked extensively in the carpet and design industries, contributing her creative talents to Celanese, West Point Pepperell (Cabin Crafts), Burlington Industries, Color Marketing Group, and Patcraft. Marie later founded her own business, Color Etc., contracting with numerous companies during a time when women were just beginning to emerge as business owners.

Affectionately known as “Grand Marie,” she was a longtime member of First United Methodist Church. Although she moved away for work, she returned in the early 1990s and resided in her original home on Elaine Way.

Marie was one of eighteen founding members of the Creative Art Guild in 1963 and remained a devoted patron, active artist, and student for 61 years, continuing her involvement through 2024. Watercolor was her favorite medium, and she also enjoyed working with acrylics, Cray Pas, and colored pencils.

In addition to her parents, Marie is preceded in death by her son, Richard Michael Stull, as well as her sister, Kay Coffman Flowers.

She is survived by her sister, Helen Coffman Johnson; Her daughter, Stacey Stull Cecil (Chris); her niece, Leigh Flowers Inskeep (Wade Bice); her nephew, Samuel Robert Flowers, Jr.; her great-nieces, Ann Ellis Inskeep and Sarah Catherine Inskeep; and her grandson, Dalton Michael Stull.

A memorial service will be held on March 21, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. in the Chapel of First United Methodist Church of Dalton, Georgia. Friends and family are invited to gather for visitation beginning at 11:00 a.m.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations be made to the Creative Arts Guild or to First United Methodist Church of Dalton.

Condolences and messages of sympathy may be expressed for Marie's family through Love Funeral Home's online guestbook.

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