When Habitat for Humanity of Wake County was just beginning in the 1980s, Raleigh business leader Tommy Fonville was among the first to step in to support affordable housing in the Triangle. Forty years later, his daughter Mary Burr Edwards is carrying on that mission.
Their story is one of legacy, but more importantly, it’s about how families and businesses can make a lasting impact by investing in the community they call home.
Tommy remembers those early days fondly. “Courtney Mose and Dewey Alley had a wall and roof component construction company,” he recalls. “We all met in Dewey’s office to talk about how to contribute to Habitat. Some of the first Habitat houses used those wall and roof components to do the framing work.”
For Tommy, the partnership was natural. “Being in residential real estate and being a Christian...those two things lined up with Habitat’s mission. Providing a home for a family in a way they could afford it touched a lot of bases for me.”
Decade after decade, Tommy supported Habitat Wake not only through his business, but also by showing up himself. He remembers swinging a hammer on build sites, meeting families and attending dedications. “I can still picture some of the people and houses even if I can’t remember all their names,” he says.
At the time Tommy was getting involved with Habitat Wake, his oldest daughter, Mary Burr, was away at college. She wasn’t there to see her father’s early contributions firsthand, but she isn’t surprised to hear some of the stories. “I’ve always been proud of him. He’s always had so much going on and he’s just amazing,” she says.
Years later, after raising children and launching a second career as a realtor and broker, Mary Burr found herself searching for a new project. “I wanted to get a group of women together to do something meaningful. We were all becoming empty nesters and had resources and energy between us. Then I heard about Women Build and thought, maybe that’s it.”
It was. On her very first Women Build day, she picked up a hammer and nail, something she had never done before. “It was the most basic thing, but we were all so proud of ourselves,” she remembers. “All I could think was how impressive the whole organization was.”
Her involvement quickly grew. Last year, Mary Burr joined the Habitat Wake Board of Directors and continues to connect and grow with our team.
It's clear that Tommy is proud hearing about his daughter’s newfound involvement in something he saw begin. “The minute she got involved, I knew she’d follow through and it would be a great experience for everybody.”
And while his own days of physically framing houses may be behind him, his belief in community engagement hasn't changed. “For individuals and for businesses, if you’re going to live in a community, you need to give back to the community. If you have a thriving business here in the Triangle, somebody probably helped you along the way. It’s good to think about how you can give back to others and the next generation.”
It’s not every day that a father and daughter independently arrive at the same nonprofit, united by shared values and a love for their community. Giving back can ripple through generations, shaping families, businesses, and communities for the better.