‘Mrs. Mary’ of Liberty Dining retires after 28 years of service

Mary “Mrs. Mary” Abbitt retired in May after being a cook for Liberty University Dining for 28 years, during which she was loved by students, staff, and faculty alike and left a profound impact on all she served.

Abbitt was primarily a breakfast cook at the Reber-Thomas Dining Hall, the university’s former hub for on-campus dining, and continued to the Reber-Thomas Dining Center, which opened in 2023. She began in 1994 as a part-time worker with no formal cook training, but Liberty Dining saw Abbitt’s potential for growth and trained her to become a cook and server, and she did just that in 1996.

“I started out in the dish room and working the condiment bar,” Abbitt said. “But then I grew, and eventually I started becoming a cook.”

She soon discovered a genuine passion for cooking for and serving the Liberty student body.

“I really enjoy cooking. When I was serving, I was serving for students,” she said.

Duke Davis, district manager of Sodexo, Liberty’s dining services provider, spoke highly of Abbitt and her contributions over the years.

“For the 10 years that I have been here on campus, Mary has been a staple for Sodexo, preparing breakfast for the students. She has always been known as ‘Mrs. Mary,’ who prepares the eggs and always does it with a smile,” Davis said.

Abbitt loved interacting with students daily, and she commented that none of them were ever “smart” with her, but kind instead. Some students would regularly come to the dining hall just to see Abbitt, whether it be for prayer or simply a warm conversation.

“I would sit and listen when they were talking, and they would listen to me when I was talking,” Abbitt said. “Sometimes they would say ‘Can I have prayer?’ and I would pray with them.”

Abbitt not only impacted the students at Liberty, but her fellow coworkers and managers as well.

“Before I would go to my office every morning, Mrs. Mary would always hand me a little bowl of tater tots or hashbrowns,” Campus Executive Chef Ford Perry said. “She would tell me that I had to eat breakfast and that she wasn’t going to let me go hungry for the day. It always made me smile, and I loved her for that.”

As a valued member of the Liberty community, Abbitt plans to stay in touch with her coworkers at Liberty Dining, many of whom came and supported her at her retirement party. At 82 years old, Abbitt’s retirement plans involve relaxing and spending time with her daughter and two sons, her grandchildren, great grandchildren, and great-great grandchildren.

Abbitt’s legacy at Liberty will continue to impact the students she served for many years to come, Davis said.

“I recall about six years ago, during one of our (College For A Weekend) events, a parent was admiring the renovated old dining center,” Davis said. “She mentioned to me how different it looked from the time that she attended Liberty. She said, ‘I remember this sweet lady named Mrs. Mary that always brightened my day when I came to get food.’ I responded that she’s still here, and I brought Mary out to see her. It was such a blessing to witness this, and that’s truly who Mary was — that Mom away from home that’s here to take care of you.”