For more than two decades, Mary Angela Whyte dutifully worked on the Druid Hills Civic Association’s quarterly newsletter.

It wasn’t always easy, and former association president Bruce MacGregor knows he wasn’t always timely with his submissions.

“I can remember getting the call, ‘Bruce,’ she’d say, ‘everybody else has their column in. I’m waiting,’ ” he said with a laugh. “She’d continue, ‘The deadline was Tuesday.’ ”

MacGregor said by his count, Whyte edited 100 issues of the newsletter, and earlier this year the association found a way to honor her work. In February Whyte was given the association’s first ever lifetime achievement award.

“Her work had to be recognized,” he said. “The thing is, we wanted to make sure she didn’t quit after we gave it to her,” he added with a laugh.

If Whyte had not experienced a massive stroke Sept. 17, she probably would have been preparing for the newsletter’s year-end issue. Mary Angela King Whyte died Saturday from complications of the stroke. She was 77.

A memorial service was held Tuesday at St. Thomas More Catholic Church, Decatur. SouthCare Cremation & Funeral Society was in charge of arrangements.

Whyte, who was born at Emory Hospital, cherished her ties to the Druid Hills community and its surroundings. She graduated from the former Sacred Heart High School, and went on to attend Emory University. Whyte also earned an MBA from Georgia State University, her family said.

Professionally, Whyte taught at DeVry University, and one of her favorite classes was literature. Her love of the written word was evident in all she did, said Kyle Jones, who taught with Whyte. Jones said Whyte did not appreciate having emails forwarded to her with incorrect information.

“She believed in getting the facts and story right,” Jones said. “She was always referring us to Snopes.com,” a website that rates the truth of urban legends.

Whyte retired approximately three years ago, after 22 years at the school, but continued to teach as a visiting professor, said her daughter, Megan Whyte Soule of Los Angeles.

MacGregor said even before Whyte retired from teaching, not much happened in the neighborhood without her knowledge.

“She knew everybody and she kept her fingers in what was going on,” he said. “She was civic-minded and had a great deal of institutional knowledge about the neighborhood.”

Soule said her mother cared deeply about her neighborhood and would do what it took to make things right.

“The priest who did her funeral said she was a great example because she was comfortable being uncomfortable,” she said. “My mom would see what needed to be done, and she cared enough to make sure it got done.”

In addition to her daughter, Whyte is survived by her son, Christopher Whyte of Atlanta; sister, Sheila King Morris of Pittsburgh, Pa.; brothers, Denis King of Fort Worth, Texas, and Mike King of Atlanta; and one grandson.