Mary R. Young (McGuirk) age 99, Speech Therapist in Glen Rock and Teaneck, passed Thursday, September 22, 2016 just two months shy of her 100th birthday.

She was born in Paterson to John and Sarah McGuirk having been raised in the family home at 248 Liberty Street. Mary graduated from Benedictine Academy High School with the Class of 1935. She continued her education at Paterson State Teacher’s College in Wayne where she received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary Education with the Class of 1935. She went on to receive her Master’s Degree in Speech Pathology from Columbia University in New York City with the Class of 1942. Mary was extremely smart, determined, and could be considered somewhat revolutionary for her era regarding her extensive education. During her work towards her Master’s Degree she taught at the Willard School in Ridgewood from 1939 through 1944 and for the HoHoKus Board of Education in 1945. Once she attained her Master’s Degree she taught Speech Therapy from 1946 through 1967 for the Teaneck Board of Education and from 1967 through 1979 for the Glen Rock Board of Education. Mary loved teaching, and especially loved working individually with children who had speech difficulties. Using her extensive education, as well as her calm, loving demeanor, she positively impacted the lives of hundreds of children with speech problems over her forty year tenure. She was always looking to improve herself and provide her students with the latest strategies, so she took advanced courses at Montclair Teacher’s College, Upsala College, Newark Teacher’s College, Seton Hall University, and Hunter College. Over the years, countless individuals have credited their speech therapist, Mary Young, with transforming and significantly influencing their lives.

Mary’s speech therapy career, although officially forty years long, continued her entire life. After she formally retired, she continued to voluntarily assist anyone who crossed her path and needed help. Whenever there was an opportunity to help someone, Mary was there.

Mary married Herbert D. Young on August 20, 1944, while Herbert was on leave from the US Army, at Saint Mary’s RC Church in Paterson. They had a two day honeymoon at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City. Mary and Herb would spend a month each summer hiking somewhere in North America. They drove to every state and even traversed the bumpy dirt Alaska Highway…twice! They were true adventurers! Mary and Herb also loved golf, gardening, photography and the company of family, often inviting nieces and nephews to join them on summer adventures. They enjoyed a loving and devoted marriage of 54 years before Herbert’s passing in 1998.

Mary and Herbert initially lived in an apartment in Paterson, but soon bought a home in Glen Rock where they lived for many years. After retirement, they moved to Augusta, New Jersey where Mary lived for 22 years. When she needed more care Mary moved to Van Dyke Park Place in Hawthorne where she lived for nine years before moving to the Lakeland Health Care Center in Haskell where she lived for the past two years. The family will forever be grateful for the home-like atmosphere and welcoming arms of the staff at Lakeland Health Care Center where she was known as “Aunt Mary.”

Mary was a very independent girl from a young age. Her earliest memories were of following her mother in the garden, on her knees. Her mother Sarah kept a beautiful garden with many roses. Perhaps this led to Mary’s master gardening skills! She also spoke with great love for her father who worked for the Paterson Post Office. He was remembered as a bright, generous, kind and gentle man, always insisting the girls go to college. Certainly this influenced her love and dedication to education and higher learning. When Mary was little, she was gifted a hat to wear. Mary didn’t like the hat. One day when she returned home from being out, her mother asked her where her hat was. Mary responded, “I threw it in the sewer!” Mary also wasn’t happy with her father’s leather sharpening strap, so she disposed of that as well! At the age of three or four, independent little Mary followed her brother to school across Paterson. She stayed far enough back that he didn’t see her and carried a Bible in her arm so she looked like a student. When she got to the school, Mary stood out front yelling “Johnny!” John heard her outside, but didn’t want to admit it was his little sister calling for him. As soon as the teacher realized Mary was outside alone, Johnny was summoned to escort her home. Mary and John, her older brother, would perform musical accompaniments for the family, with Mary on piano and Johnny on violin. Mary adored her older brother Johnny. Mary also had an extremely close relationship with her two sisters, Alice and Ruth. The three sisters were inseparable. They have a bond which knows no limits. Mary and Alice were just two years apart and were very close. After marriage, they settled just blocks from one another in Glen Rock. Alice’s husband Paul, and Mary’s husband Herb, became fast friends. The two couples remained very close throughout their lives. The baby, Ruth, was the “First Communion Wish” Mary had prayed for. When Mary was thirteen years old, and Alice was ten, Ruth was born. Often Mary would say God didn’t give her children, but He gave her Ruthie. Both Mary and Alice cared for Ruthie like little mothers, leading to a lifetime of daily phone calls, trips to Flemington, The Pink Sleigh, and Peddlers Village, to name a few. Often cousin Claire would locate new and wonderful places as she explored with Aunt Annie, and then bring the three sisters to share the delight! Beef burgundy and Apricot Roosters at The Cock “n Bull Restaurant were a favorite! Each and every celebration and holiday was a family event. Certainly Mary never missed an opportunity to attend a graduation, recital, wedding, or any other event which concerned a family member. She was a devoted daughter to Sarah and John, and a dedicated, loyal sister to John, Alice and Ruth, and a wonderful wife to Herb. She always emphasized the need for schooling and education. She was ready with advice, support, unyielding generosity, but most of all a devotion to her family.

Mary was an all-around fun and funny person. She was always ready with a compliment and loved to be dressed in high heels, jewelry, and furs. She will be remembered as a determined lady who would let nothing stand in her way. She was giving to a fault and even recently called to be an organ donor but was rejected because of her age. One of the toughest aspects of her life was that she was never able to have children. She loved children, and considered herself to be blessed with hundreds of them. She dedicated her career to helping children, and had nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews, great-great nieces, and great-great nephews and all of her students over the years, whom she treated like her own. When it comes to her age, she wasn’t very forthcoming. For years she convinced her nieces and nephews that her siblings (their parents) were much older than she. Aunt Mary and Uncle Herb loved to have the nieces and nephews over. Everyone loved being with Aunt Mary and Uncle Herb because it was so much fun. A shining example of this is when Aunt Mary and Uncle Herb would annually take as many of the nieces and nephews as they could pack into their two cars to New York City to see the decorated store windows. The kids would look forward to seeing the windows and being given money to spend for lunch at the automat, then return home to make ornaments and eat Spanish Rice. They also hosted an annual Easter Egg Hunt with a “Golden Egg” hidden among many eggs! Mary taught her nieces and nephews all about geology as well. Although she loved her high heels, she could quickly shift gears and had no qualms about getting dirty. Her fun loving, adventurous, open-arm style deeply endeared her to all the nieces and nephews.

Mary was the loving wife of fifty-four years to the late Maj. Herbert D. Young (1998); devoted sister of the late John McGuirk, Alice Schneider of Granby, CT, and Ruth Knapp of Wayne; cherished aunt to many nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews, great-great nieces, and great-great nephews.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to Catholic Relief Services, PO Box 17090, Baltimore, MD 21297-0303 would be greatly appreciated.