Our Founder
In Memoriam
Mary Lee Sutton Merrill
December 6, 1925 – September 11, 2026
Our founder died on September 11, 2026, at the age of 100. The Society she founded in 1982 carries on her work, and we remain grateful for her lifetime of devotion to the Doty family story.
Photo: Strong-Hancock Funeral Home
Mary Lee Merrill founded the Pilgrim Edward Doty Society in October 1982 in Wilmington, Delaware.
She brought Doty descendants together so the family’s story — beginning with Edward Doty, a Mayflower passenger — could be researched, preserved, and shared. The Society she founded is organized exclusively for charitable and educational purposes as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and it is endorsed by the General Society of Mayflower Descendants.
Her work continues in the Society’s genealogical research, its quarterly newsletter, the family trees it maintains, the historical markers it places, and its support of Mayflower education.
In 1982, Mary Lee founded our society with a vision of connecting Edward Doty’s descendants through genealogy, history, and shared heritage. Her dedication created a lasting community that continues to bring families together across generations.
We are forever grateful for her vision and commitment to preserving our shared history. Her legacy lives on through the society she founded. Our heartfelt condolences go out to her family and friends.
Thank you, Mary Lee, for bringing our Doty family together.
Read her obituary at Strong-Hancock Funeral Home.