Mary Call was born in New York City, New York, the only child and daughter of Thomas Arthur Darby and Jane Kirkman Brevard. Brevard being the daughter of Theodore Washington Brevard Junior. and Mary Laura Call. Mary Laura Call was the daughter of Richard Keith Call, 3rd and 5th territorial governor of Florida and Mary Letitia Kirkman.
Mary Call was born in New York because her father had business interests there.
In 1923, Thomas Darby was found dead in his New York hotel room at age 66. His business partner then took the proceeds of their successful business and boarded a ship for Europe. The ship was lost at sea with all hands.
Mary Call attended Leon High School and appeared as “The Fairy Queen” in a 1916 May Party picture in the history book
Mary Call went on to Florida State College for Women but temporarily withdrew in order to help take care of her mother who was ill with cancer. In February 1932, Jane Brevard Darby died at the age of 64.
Mary Call returned to college and graduated. In 1942, the Collins family acquired The Grove Plantation, a circa 1840 plantation home originally built by Mary Collins" great grandfather Richard Keith Call.
The, one of three historic preservation awards from the Florida Secretary of State"s office is presented to a volunteer who has forever changed the course of historic preservation.
Mary Call Darby Collins died at the age of 98, after a long illness. At this time, she was still living in her great-grandfather"s home, and now the State of Florida is hoping to turn the home into a historic museum.
In the 1970s, Mary Call Collins had served, by gubernatorial appointment, as a member of the Historic Street Augustine Preservation Board).
