Mary Elizabeth Hays Peller

Mary Hays Peller was born on July 31st, 1956, at Touro Infirmary in New Orleans, the youngest of three children born to Dr. Martha Elise Adams and Dr. Arthur Vernon Hays, a rare physician couple on the Gulf Coast. The family lived in a brick home shaded by live oak trees on Beach Drive in Gulfport, Mississippi. Mary played on her father’s putting green in the front yard, with a cat named Cincinnati in the house, and with a Catahoula named Boy around the creek out back. Next door lived grandparents, Fred and Martha Adams, to help keep an eye on the children. Beloved Onie Evans was also around helping with Mary and her siblings.

Mary attended Coast Episcopal, Gulfport East High School, and St. Mary’s Dominican in New Orleans. She worked as a graphic artist, kept a feisty Ocelot (“Noonie”) in the condo she shared with several girlfriends, then joined her cousin Kay Alberts-Barrier as a flight attendant at Continental Airlines. Mary, a lifelong Francophile, enjoyed monthly trips to Paris, London, and Rio alongside many co-workers who became precious lifelong friends.

Always stylish, elegant, charming, and petite, Mary married the love of her life, Steve Peller, in 2004. They partied at Southern Yacht Club and with Proteus Krewe while living on Prytania Street in the Garden District. Their beautiful home was warm, welcoming, and hosted countless good times with Steve as bartender and beloved poodles Beau, Chicory, Coco, and Spencer as dear companions. Mary loved Uglesich’s and Domilise’s as well as Galatoire’s, the official site for any family celebration and where she and Steve got engaged. Many wonderful meals there stretched from lunch through dinner, especially if Sazeracs were involved. She was a fiercely loyal friend, a joyful addition to any occasion, and all too easy to love.

Mary’s dreams were tragically cut short, however, when Steve died of a heart attack on her birthday in July 2025. After the funeral on August 9th, which was attended by many dozens of friends along the Coast, Mary was overcome with grief. On August 26th, she passed away peacefully due to broken heart syndrome, with her brother Arthur, niece Mary (little Mary), and nephews Jamie and Hayes at her side.

Mary’s surviving family are her brother, Arthur (Debbie) Hays, nieces Mary Cooper Gallisdorfer (Scott) and Abbey Hays, and nephews Ethan, Evan, and Isaac Hays, and Jamie and Hayes Cooper.

Visitation will be held on Friday, September 12, 2025, from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m., at Riemann Family Funeral Home, 11280 Three Rivers Road, Gulfport, MS. Then on Saturday, September 13, 2025, a second visitation will be held at 9:00 a.m. and the funeral service will begin at 10:00 a.m. at St. Peter’s-by-the-Sea Episcopal Church in Gulfport, MS. 

Following services, Mrs. Hays will be laid to rest at Floral Hills Memorial Gardens in Gulfport. 

Riemann Family Funeral Home, Gulfport, is serving the family. Please sign the online guestbook, and share memories at www.riemannfamily.com