New Albany, Indiana - Mary Ann (Burd) Sodrel, 91, passed away at her home in New Albany, IN, on April 20, 2026, just five days shy of her 92nd birthday. The eldest daughter of Edwin and Anna Lois (Becker) Burd, Mary Ann was a native of New Albany, a 1952 graduate of New Albany High School, and earned a B.A. degree in 1984 from Indiana University Southeast. She wed Donald Lee Sodrel of New Albany in 1957, raised two children with him, and was married for over 62 years until Don's passing in April of 2020. She loved all animals (especially cats), nature, philanthropy (for MANY causes), volunteering, the Arts, books, words, her church, her community, her home, her family cottage in Holland, MI, the New Albany Bulldogs, dining, traveling, different cultures, learning, laughing, and, of course, her family and friends. The world is surely a poorer place now without this remarkable woman in it, but her legacy of good and giving, both of herself and financially, will live on.

Mary Ann devoted the first half of her adult life to being a spouse, mother, and homemaker, and then she devoted the second half of her life to interests outside the home. As the wife of a career U.S. Navy officer, she coordinated at least 10 relocations over 24 years, including overseas deployments to Guam and Taiwan. Despite the inherent hardships of frequent uprootings, she and Don absolutely loved the Navy life, which provided them with a solid foundation, many amazing experiences, and a plethora of lifelong friends.

After Don's retirement from the Navy in 1980, they decided to return for good to their hometown of New Albany. Upon doing so, Mary Ann finished her college degree and threw herself into her community, both as a volunteer and professionally. She worked as the bookkeeper for Interfaith Community Council and was the director of the Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) for a time. She was an active 45-year member of St. Paul's Episcopal Church, N.A., and participated in numerous ways, including serving on the Vestry and as the volunteer coordinator of the Episcopal Fund for Human Need for the diocese, for which she received the Bishop's Award for Outstanding Service. She was a longtime member of Business and Professional Women (BPW), including serving a term as president, and, after it dissolved, of Rotary. She volunteered for several local organizations and received more than her share of distinctions, including: being named a Sagamore of the Wabash; being inducted into the New Albany High School Hall of Fame; being named a Woman of Distinction by the Center for Women and Families; being named Senior of the Year by LifeSpan Resources for helping to run their annual Senior Games; and being a finalist for the News and Tribune's Woman of the Year award. But maybe her greatest volunteer achievement--especially for the city of New Albany and the environment--was being a co-founder of Trash Force, Inc., a local recycling advocacy group whose goal was to reduce solid waste going to the landfill. Needless to say, her impact on her community was massive and indelible.

Mary Ann is survived by her daughter, Lee Ann Sodrel (Brian Remson and his four daughters and seven grandchildren); son, John Sodrel; cat, Samson; brother-in-law, Ron Schad; sister-in-law, Loretta Burd; and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, and other extended family and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband; sister, Donna Schad; brother, William Burd; and numerous feline family members.

Visitation will be Sunday, April 26, from 2:00-7:00 pm and Monday, April 27, from 10:00 am-12:45 pm at Naville & Seabrook Funeral Home, 1119 E. Market St., New Albany, IN. The funeral will be held Monday, April 27, at 1:00 pm at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 1015 E. Main St., New Albany. A committal service, immediately following the funeral, will take place at Kraft-Graceland Memorial Park, 2778 Charlestown Rd., New Albany. And there will be a reception on Monday, April 27, at 3:00 pm at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 1015 E. Main St., New Albany.

Expressions of sympathy in the form of a donation in Mary Ann's memory may be made to the New Albany Animal Shelter and the Floyd County Animal Rescue League (FCARL).