b. December 14, 1923

by William Horsley, St. Thomas, Reidsville, 2011

Marian was born in Fayetteville, North Carolina, but grew up in Florida. She graduated from Florida State University in 1945 with a degree in accounting. She taught at FSU for a year when the university became co-ed. She attended graduate school at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. In 1951 she married Hubert Safriet and for 10 years they lived in Kannapolis, North Carolina, moving to Reidsville and St. Thomas in 1961, when Hubert’s job with Wachovia Bank transferred him.

Marian began working in the business office of Annie Penn Memorial Hospital in Reidsville as an internal auditor and became Chief Financial Officer of the hospital. Upon her retirement from that position, she assumed the volunteer position of coordinator of volunteers. She recruited a number of St. Thomas members to serve as volunteers at the hospital. From 1981 to 1982 she served as the first woman President of the North Carolina Chapter of the Healthcare Financial Management Association. On her retirement, she was made an honorary life member of that organization.

At St. Thomas, she became nothing less than a driving force. She has a lovely soprano voice and sang in the choir until her health dictated that she move to be near her daughter. She served several terms on the vestry, including serving as Senior Warden. For several years she was the church treasurer and was one of the persons responsible for instituting correct accounting practices to the church finances. There was not an office in the ECW at St. Thomas that she did not hold, at one time or another. Most often, she was Treasurer, but she also served several terms as President. She was a long-time member of the St. Thomas Finance Committee, frequently serving as Chairperson.

Locally, she served as President and as Treasurer of the Reidsville Federated Woman’s Club and was on the board of the Reidsville Family YMCA and was Treasurer of that organization. She was on the board of the Reidsville United Way and, you guessed it, was also Treasurer.

She also lent her considerable energy and talents to work within the Diocese of North Carolina. She was on the board of the Diocesan Episcopal Church Women for a number of years and was Treasurer for three years. She served on the Board of the Penick Home for fifteen years and was Treasurer of the Penick Home for several years. At St. Thomas, she was always an advocate for donations to the Penick Home and still is a contributor. She is the only member of St. Thomas to have served as a delegate to the General Convention in 1991. When Bishop Estill asked the Convention to select a Coadjutor in 1999, Marian was named to the search committee. Her job on that committee was to be the “angel,” or contact person for Rev. Michael B. Curry, who became our 11th Bishop in 2000.

Since 2008 Marian has been living near her daughter in Asheville, North Carolina.