Mary Pearl Mallison

Mary Buswell Mallison, 88, of Decatur, Georgia passed away peacefully in her home on August 9, 2025. She was born in 1937 in Carroll, Iowa to Ray and Grace Buswell. Her father was a farmer on land that is now Hyde Park in Scranton, Iowa and her mother was a teacher and a homemaker. Mary was a graduate of Churdan High School in Iowa, Iowa Methodist Hospital School of Nursing, and the University of Iowa where she received her BSN with honors in 1962. She moved to New York City taking a job as a visiting home nurse, and quickly learned to navigate the big city as a small-town Iowa girl. She made many friends and contacts and at age 28 she was hired by the American Journal of Nursing (AJN) as an associate editor. During an interview for the journal she met George Mallison, who was an engineer-epidemiologist for the CDC. She fell head over heels in love and eventually they married which brought them to Atlanta, Georgia in 1969. George had three children from a previous marriage and Mary easily took on the mothering role providing loving care and support. In Atlanta, she accepted a nursing position at Grady Memorial Hospital and moved from being staff nurse to head nurse in kidney dialysis and eventually assistant nursing director of special projects. During her 11 years at Grady, she was also active in the regional and state levels of the Georgia Nurses Association (GNA) and later in life held the post of Executive Director at GNA. Her love of writing never waned, and in 1981 she accepted the position of Editor in Chief at AJN bringing her and George (now retired) back to New York City. Combining her nursing knowledge and her love for writing was her strength that garnered several awards including the re-design of the journal and also some of her editorials. After 12 years at AJN, Mary and George returned to Atlanta in 1993 to be near family as she cared for him through end of life–in 1996 George, the love of her life, succumbed to his battle with Alzheimer’s at age 72. Mary, always working, stayed busy as Executive Director of the GNA for two years and also worked with WebMD on a web-based nursing newsletter. She developed a relationship with her neighbor, Leman Rudeseal–a retired engineer with Georgia Power, and they shared a life of gardening, reading, and travel which taught her to enjoy retirement without deadlines. After many happy years together on Hawthorne Drive, Mary and Leman moved into a condo in Decatur where she cared for him during his end of life until he passed away at the age of 97 in 2021. During the last four years of her life, she was very active in her Independent Living Community taking part and/or leading several groups including: poetry, writing, life changes and also one for care-givers. Mary never stopped writing or nursing, both of which were her life’s passions and gifts. Her caring spirit, loving touch and beaming smile affected so many friends and family, and her enthusiasm for life and positivity were infectious. Her Christian faith was unyielding, and she was at peace knowing that she was in the Lord’s hands. Mary is preceded in death by her parents Ray and Grace Buswell; her four brothers: Elmer, Vernon, Dale and Harrie Buswell; her husband George Mallison; her partner Leman Rudeseal; and step-daughters Rosalind Mallison and Sylvia Mallison. She is survived by her step-son James Mallison and his wife Dana Leckie of Leland, NC; son-in-law Tom (Sylvia) Murray of Atlanta; sisters-in-law Lois (Elmer) Buswell of Carroll, Iowa and Katy (Harrie) Buswell of Owensboro, KY; 13 nieces and nephews; many great, and great-great nieces and nephews; and her personal assistant, loving friend, and honorary grand-daughter Mandy Kuhn.

Her Celebration of Life will be at Clairmont Place in Decatur, Georgia Saturday, August 23 at 4:30 p.m. Celebratory flowers are welcome and may be sent to Clairmont Place, 2100 Clairmont Lake, Decatur GA 30033.