The Honorable Mary Athalie Wilkinson Range, born on November 7, 1915, in Key West, Florida, had roots extending back to Nassau, Bahamas through her grandparents. She graduated from Booker T. Washington Senior High School in 1939 and later pursued studies at the New England Institute of Anatomy and Embalming, setting the stage for her career as a funeral director in Miami. Alongside her husband Oscar Range, she co-founded a funeral home in Liberty City in 1953 and continued to run the business with resolve after his death in 1960. Range’s career had humble beginnings in the 1940s, cleaning passenger cars on railroads—a job that provided her with a deep understanding of transportation systems. This experience later informed her role on a national commission overseeing the nation’s railways in the 1970s. In 1971, she was appointed by Governor Reubin Askew as Florida’s Secretary of the Department of Community Affairs, a landmark appointment in her public service career. During the 1960s, Range served on the Miami City Commission where she became a formidable advocate for civil rights, focusing on issues like the equalization of resources for Black students and the improvement of sanitation services in Black communities. Her leadership and dedication made her a significant figure in shaping policy and advocating for social justice in Miami.