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DAVID MAURICE MAYBERRY
1908—1994
DEEPLY SADDENED PASSING DAVID MAYBERRY DEVOTED DEARLY LOVED SERVANT BAHA‘U‘LLAH. Hrs INVALUABLE EFFORTS AS PIONEER MEXICO ALONG WITH HIS WIFE FLORENCE, HIS READY CONSTANT SUPPORT WHICH FAClLITATED HER WORK AS BOTH CONTINENTAL AND INTERNATIONAL COUNSELLOR AND HIS SERVICES WORLD CENTRE GRATEFULLY REMEMBERED. FERVENTLY PRAYING HOLY THRESHOLD PROGRESS HIS NOBLE SOUL AND FOR CONSOLATION MEMBERS HIS FAMILY.
Universal House ofjustice February 18, 1994
avid Maurice Mayberry in company with his wife Florence became a Bahá’í in May 1941. Almost immediately they were joined by Florence’s mother, brother, and sister—in—law. When the first Local Spiritual Assembly in the state of Nevada was formed, David was elected chairman. David was born on April 4, 1908, in Provo, Utah, the youngest of ten children born to John and Frances Mayberty. His
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David Maurine Mayhem)!
father passed away shortly before his birth, leaving him to be reared by his courageous mother and older siblings. Both of David’s parents came from a background ofMormonism. David was never Mormon and even as a Child was troubled and confused by divisions in religious beliefs. An unusually bright child and a natural student, he grew up maintaining independent and questioning attitudes regarding life’s choices.
Following his graduation From high school (the only one of his family to achieve this), David took a civil service examination, passed with high marks, and was offered a position with the US Post Office Department in Washington DC. To him this was a great financial accomplishment enabling him to send monthly support to his mother and to help her construct a new modern home.
In the early 19305 he transferred from Washington DC to the Reno, Nevada, Post Office to be neat family members. In Reno he was selected as Civil service secretary for
THE BAHA’I’ WORLD
Nevada; he simultaneously became the secretary to the postmaster and secretary for the postal inspector. Later he became foreman of the Reno Post Office.
In 1936 he met Florence, and they were married after a six—week couttship—a marriage destined to endure for fifty—eight wonderful years. Soon after the birth of their son, Michael David, in 1945, David moved his family to Southern California. There he entered business life, establishing a masonry building materials company.
It was in Southern California that David’s constant and selfless support of his wife’s steadily increasing services as a traveling teacher for the Bahá’í Faith had its true beginning. His support was openhearted and never—failing. David was a witty, clearthinking expounder of the Faith, but he preferred to speak from the sidelines, his clever sense of humor inducing laughter and warm friendliness. He never traveled with his wife on her lengthy trips as he desired to remain at home to tend his business and to share the loving and watchful care of his son with his mother—in—law.
In 1954 Florence was appointed an Auxiliary Board member when that institution was established. With the large area of western Canada and the western United States (including Hawaii and Alaska) assigned to her, her travel increased considerably.
In 1961 the Maybertys decided to pioneer to Mexico. David sold his business, and they moved to Guadalajara. His wife’s assigned area now became all of Central America as well as Mexico. Eventually David was elected to the National Spiritual Assembly of Mexico. However, he was soon forced to return to Southern California to reassume the ownership of the business he had established. The purchaser had become severely handicapped by a long-tetm, debilitating illness. Back in California David
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IN MEMORIAM 1992—1997 12;
faced the difficult job of rebuilding the business.
In 1968 the Universal House ofjustice appointed the Continental Counsellors to carry on the propagation and protection obligations of the Hands of the Cause of God. David’s wife was appointed one of the North American Counsellors. He was delighted by this honor and assumed additional domestic obligations.
In 1973 the International Teaching Centre was established by the Universal House ofjustice. Its membership comprised the Hands of the Cause of God and at that time three Counsellors, Hooper Dunbar, ‘Aziz Yazdi, and Florence Maybetry.
To David, this honor bestowed upon his wife, together with her earlier appointments, was the fulfillment of a prayer he had offered one lonely, arid, and frightening night after doctors had informed him that Florence was near death, suffering from a severe case of peritonitis. His prayer was that ifGod would permit her to live, he would help ensure that she would be free to serve the Cause of God all the days of her life. He did not tell her of his prayer until much later. When he did, he said, “Please serve as much as you are able; don’t think of me, just help me fulfill that promise!”
When Florence was appointed a member of the International Teaching Centre, David’s response was one of surprise and delight: “Well, guess that means I’ll have to sell the business again,” which he promptly did. He joined her at the Bahá’í World Centre in Haifa, where he served in the Finance Department. Unfortunately his health began a downward slide, and within a few years he was forced to retire and return to the States. Florence later joined him as her own health began to deteriorate. They settled in the Missouri Ozarks. There he valiantly continued his unfailing
support of his wife’s continuing teaching commitments and travel.
On February 15, 1994, David died, a victim of heart failure and emphysema. At the moment of death he whispered to his wife, “I never dreamed I could be so happy, so happy with you here beside me, all those around . . .” The “all those” physically around him were his son Michael and his three grandsons, David Mark, Michael Richard, and Timothy Maurice, as well as close friends. But in her imagination his wife could sense unseen throngs of greeting souls already laughing at one of David's witticisms as they welcomed him to his new life.
Florence Mayherry and Timothy Maurice Mayéerry
