Myrna Ferguson
1940 - 2026

It is with extreme sorrow that we announce the passing of our beloved matriarch, Myrna Mateel Ferguson, who at the time of her passing was 85 years old. Myrna was a follower of Christ who served the Lord faithfully. She passed peacefully on January 10, 2026, surrounded by her family, whom she spent a lifetime nurturing and protecting. She was a brilliant woman who always put family and faith above all else and inspired all who were fortunate enough to know her. The courage, strength and resilience she exhibited throughout her life, especially during the final months of her illness, were nothing short of remarkable. She was a force - words that come to mind when thinking of her are caring, witty, perceptive, insightful, honest, beautiful, protective, creative, encouraging, graceful and resilient. She was the heart and soul of our family -- a steady source of wisdom, kindness and unconditional love. Myrna was the eldest of four children born to Walter and Elizabeth Ferguson on September 26, 1940. She graduated from Portsmouth High School in 1958 and while in high school she was an exceptional student who was also a member of the band, the basketball and volleyball teams as well as the school’s Homecoming Court. After high school, she attended The Ohio State University where she graduated with a degree in linguistics in 1962. She obtained a Master’s degree from The Ohio State University and then later in life a Master’s degree from Temple University, demonstrating to all who were fortunate enough to know her that education is a lifelong pursuit. While an undergraduate at The Ohio State University, she met her future husband, Ronald C. Machen, who was a graduate student at the university. They were married in 1962 and soon thereafter, had their first child, Margo Rene Machen in 1963. Six years later, Myrna and Ronald Sr. had a son, Ronald C. Machen Jr, who was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. While living outside of Philadelphia, Myrna, who was passionate about educating children, began teaching at Sleighton Farm School -- a reformatory school for disadvantaged boys and girls. Myrna eventually became Vice Principal of the Sleighton Farm School and remained there until the family moved to Detroit, Michigan in 1978. While living in Detroit, Myrna began working for Parker Amchem, which was a subsidiary of Ford Motor company. Through hard work and a keen intellect, she rose to become Director of Purchasing at Parker Amchem. While there, she met her life-long friend and minister, Diane Covington. After meeting Reverand Covington, Myrna began attending the church Reverend Covington founded, St. Paul Christian Methodist Episcopalian Church, in Detroit, Michigan. Myrna had a great deal of faith and was the driving force in ensuring that both her children had a strong spiritual foundation. Myrna later worked as Assistant Vice President for Procurement for Betz Laboratories and then later became Global Vice President of Procurement for Hercules Chemical Company. In her roles as head of procurement for both Betz and Hercules, Myrna saved these companies millions of dollars by establishing strategic supplier partnerships in order to align incentives, enhance product development, and spur technological advancement. Later in her career, before retiring, she became a senior executive for Citizens Bank, where she helped secure loans for underserved communities. Throughout her entire professional career and after retirement, she was an inspiration and a consummate mentor and advocate to many, especially young African American females who often had to overcome unique challenges in navigating their careers. While raising her children, she was all about sacrifice, foregoing amenities in order to provide her children with the best education and enrichment experiences possible. She and Ron Sr. recognized the long-term value of providing their children the same private school educations afforded the children of executives from Ford Motor Company and General Motors. Her continued focus on academic achievement was done through love and encouragement, not by exerting undue pressure. She believed wholeheartedly that through hard work and discipline, her children could accomplish anything and overcome any obstacle — whether in the classroom or on the athletic fields. She continuously emphasized that dreams were a prelude to achievement and encouraged her children to dream big. She was not only an outstanding mother but also a loving and caring grandmother to her three beloved grandsons - Bijan, Jelani and Kadari. She nurtured the creative side of each, taking them to Broadway plays and musicals and encouraging them to develop their own artistic talents. She also loved to spoil them by taking them to fancy restaurants where she would brag on her “unbelievably brilliant and talented” grandsons. She did the same with her cherished nieces — Nia, Beth, Buffy and Nadra —- whom she would treat to lunch and often take on shopping trips in Manhattan. She is survived by her children, Margo and Ronald Jr, her daughter-in-law Ayana, grandsons Bijan, Jelani and Kadari, younger siblings Yvonne, Walter Jr, and Richard, her beloved nieces (Nia, Beth, Nadra and Buffy) and nephew (Walter “Bear” Ferguson) as well as a host of other relatives and friends. While we grieve her passing, we celebrate a life beautifully lived and a person who made the world better simply by being in it. A devoted mother and faithful servant, she poured her heart into her family and her community. Her spirit lives on in her children and grandchildren whose lives she helped shape through the values she instilled and opportunities she insured would be available to them. We find peace knowing she is now reunited with loved ones and has been welcomed home with the words “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Matthew 25:21 A funeral service will be 10:00am, Friday, January 23, 2026, at Harrison-Pyles Funeral Home, 11623 Gallia Pike, Wheelersburg, OH. Burial will follow in Memorial Burial park, Wheelersburg, OH. Visitation will be 10:00am until the time of the service at the funeral home.