Mary Lou Gurski

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing." II Timothy 4:7-8

Mary Lou (Sissy, Nanny, Miss Sunshine) Gurski, 77, of Racine bravely fought her good fight and finished her race on Thursday, August 14, 2025. She is receiving her reward, and her childlike faith has finally become sight.

Mary Lou was a tiny but mighty force to be reckoned with. From the time she was a little girl, known in her neighborhood as Little Iodine (yes, she was proud of that title), she had a way of impacting those she met with her vibrant, powerful personality. When Mary Lou set her mind to something, absolutely nothing was going to stand in her way.

Spending most of her childhood in Boone County, Mary Lou proudly graduated from Sherman High School in 1965. She faithfully served on the Class of 1965 Reunion Committee and was excitedly planning their 60th reunion, held August 16th. She was a SHS cheerleader and continued to play that role throughout her life, cheering on her family, friends, students, and thousands more as a nationally acclaimed motivational speaker for the apartment industry.

Following her high school graduation, Mary Lou attended four colleges in four years, culminating her education with an English degree from Morris Harvey College. She began teaching in rural Boone County in the 1960’s, continuing through the early 1980’s. She simultaneously sold Home Interiors and Gifts, becoming one of its top sellers nationwide.

In the early 1980’s, Mary Lou set out on a great adventure, relocating to Charlotte, NC. Confident of her sales abilities, she walked into the office of the Regional Vice President of Oxford Management Company, sat at his desk, and announced, “You need me.” From that point on, her career in property management skyrocketed. She launched her company, Training for Success, in 1990, amassing a portfolio of over 200,000 trained professionals. She provided training in sales, marketing and management for over 300 top companies, becoming one of the most sought-after motivational speakers in the nation. Mary Lou compiled some of her most well-known anecdotes into a book entitled, Training for Success - 101 Lessons Learned on the Journey. She was subsequently inducted into the Education Hall of Fame for the Greater Charlotte Apartment Association, marking a milestone in her career. Returning to WV in the mid-1990’s, Mary Lou continued to travel and provide training nationwide. When she wasn’t working for her business, she was working on a way to get to Siesta Key, Florida. She treated many of us to unforgettable vacations there and could have potentially won a prize (if one had been given) as World’s Biggest Fan of Siesta Key. The beach truly was her happy place.

Mary Lou could also be found enjoying some Diet Coke with LOTS of ice, watching HGTV and the Hallmark Channel, singing off-key “That’s How Much I Love You,” buying and giving a multitude of gifts, making a trip to Hardee’s for a biscuit, and anxiously awaiting the first day of Spring. She was an avid Hershey’s Chocolate lover, dedicated Facebook fan, and extreme Emoji user. Appropriately, lime green was her favorite color, and Life is Good was her favorite brand - just two other indicators of her zest for life.

Mary Lou was active in her churches and passionate about women’s ministries, leading Boundless Joy and My Christmas Jar. She was never ashamed of the gospel and told people about Jesus everywhere she went.

Eventually, Mary Lou returned to education, becoming a substitute teacher in Boone County Schools. She loved teaching, loved her co-workers, and loved her students. The staff and students at Madison Elementary became family to Miss Sunshine, and in turn, they treated her like family.

The most life-changing events in Mary Lou’s life were the births of her nieces, Anna Grace and Sunny Day. They were the joys of Nanny’s world, and she spent her life celebrating them. There was never a doubt that she loved them to the moon and all the way back, always and forever, no matter what. If you spoke with Nanny for more than two minutes, you heard the latest updates about each of their lives - the most recent being Anna Grace’s engagement and Sunny Day’s start of nursing school.

Mary Lou is preceded in death by her parents, Charlie and Goldie Barker Gurski; and faithful friend, Button. She is survived by her family who forever loves her 2-1-8 and 5-4 Twins - Sissy, Cindy (Bart) Elkins; and Nanny’s Girls, Anna Grace (Fiancé Jackson Gregory) and Sunny Day Elkins. Mary Lou also leaves behind a multitude of family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, and students who cared for her deeply. Thank you for loving her so well.

The receiving of friends will be held at Handley Funeral Home in Danville, WV, on Saturday, August 23rd, from Noon until 2pm. Her Celebration of Life will follow at 2pm with Pastors Anthony Pratt and Junior Perdue officiating. Burial will be at Pineview Cemetery in Orgas.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making contributions in Mary Lou’s honor to Madison Elementary School, Toney’s Branch Freewill Baptist Church, and First Baptist Church of Racine.