Mary Clay Lazar

Mary Clay Pringle Lazar, 78, of Summerville, South Carolina, wife of the late Donald John Lazar, entered into eternal rest Thursday, July 31, 2025. Her graveside service will be held Friday, August 8, 2025, in Holy Cross Cemetery, 604 Fort Johnson Road, at 11:00 am. The family will receive friends Thursday, August 7, 2025, from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm in J. Henry Stuhr Inc., Northwoods Chapel. Arrangements by J. Henry Stuhr, Inc. Northwoods Chapel.

Mary was born July 26, 1947, in Charleston, South Carolina, as the second of seven children to the late McColl Pringle and the late Agnes Clay Pringle. A proud Charlestonian, she cherished her descent from one of South Carolina’s early judges as well as early founding members of the Charleston Preservation Society.

Mary attended Ashley Hall through eighth grade. She got an early taste of life away from home when she discovered her wanderlust while attending boarding school at the Convent of the Sacred Heart in Noroton, Connecticut. She later graduated from Centenary College of Louisiana. However, Charleston called her back. After marrying Don in 1974, she returned to her hometown for good, even though she hated the heat. She traveled when she could over the years, but never as often as she would have liked, often lamenting the unvisited places.

She was an elementary school teacher before focusing full-time on raising her three children. As a young mother and following the death of her own mother, she became the guardian of her four special-needs siblings, a role she held even longer than her mother had, embracing it with grace and love. After her children grew older, Mary returned to teaching. This time, however, her students were adults, and she became a beloved fitness instructor.

Her favorite animals were frogs, not only because they were green, but also because they always went forward and never looked back. Christmas and St. Patrick’s Day were her favorite holidays, and even she admitted that her collection of holiday decorations had gotten out of hand, yet she never stopped adding to them.

Mary loved funny women. Her favorite shows included I Love Lucy, The Golden Girls, and Mama’s Family, though she also enjoyed Law & Order, Murder, She Wrote, and, surprisingly, heavyweight boxing, mixed martial arts (MMA), and NASCAR (especially Jimmie Johnson).

She spent her later years drifting back toward rewatching old movies on TCM (especially anything featuring Robert Redford), while absorbing as much content as she could from her latest podcast obsessions, never shying away from giving her opinion, especially on politics and finance.

She is survived by her children: Nikolai Lazar, Andrea Lazar (Matthew), and Derek Lazar (Lindsay); grandchildren: Jackson Lazar, David Lazar, Hudson Lazar, Orion Lazar-Tarnowski, Arabella Lazar, Hayden Lazar, and Harlow Lazar; sisters: Agnes Fowler and Amelia Pringle. In addition to her husband and parents, she was preceded in death by siblings: Ernest Henry Pringle IV; McColl Pringle, Jr.; Louise duPont Crowninshield Pringle; and Margaretta McEvoy Pringle.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that memorial contributions be made to: Charleston Animal Society, 2455 Remount Road, North Charleston, SC 29406 or Pet Helpers, 1447 Folly Rd, Charleston, SC 29412.

Like her beloved frogs, Mary always moved forward, leaving a legacy of love, laughter, and unyielding spirit.