Mary R. Welsh passed away peacefully in her sleep on August 16, 2019 at her nursing home at Shell Point, Fort Myers, Florida. She was born Mary Rose Williams in Gaddsten, Alabama, on June 22, 1932. She was the eldest of two children. Her family moved to Columbus, Ga., where Mary excelled as a student, graduating from high school at the age of 15. Around the same time, she was discovered by a modeling agency. She was first a hand and foot model, and then later, a model for Coca-Cola. She featured prominently in the highly successful “Have a Coke” campaign.