Mary Cathleen Mark, gave of herself
Mary Cathleen Mark, 75, of Lewes, passed away peacefully in her sleep Sunday, Oct. 20, 2019, at home with her husband at her side, following a long and courageous battle with Parkinson’s disease. She was born May 5, 1944, in Birmingham, Ala., daughter of the late Arthur and Cecelia (Butner) Williams.
Cathy is survived by her loving husband of 53 years, Christopher, of Lewes; their son and daughter-in-law, Christopher Jr. and Suzanne Mark, of Danville, Calif.; their daughter and son-in-law, Cecelia and Ricardo Carmenates of McLean, Va.; their daughter and son-in-law, Jeanne-Marie and Steven Roberts of Roswell, Ga.; and their grandchildren: Frances, William, Ava, Stella and Jack Mark, of Danville; Alexa, Ricardo Jr. and Sebastian Carmenates of McLean; and Mercedes (Sadie) and Leo Roberts, of Roswell. She is also survived by her sister and brother-in-law, Patricia and Linn Brucker of Augusta, Ga.; her brother, Arthur Williams Jr. of Port Charlotte, Fla.; her sister-in-law, Tracy Mulveny of Lewes; her sister- and brother-in-law, Victoria and Frank Ball of Harleysville, Pa.; her brother- and sister-in-law, Gregory Mark and Deborah Finn of Portland, Ore.; and her brother- and sister-in-law, J. Douglas and Tracey Mark, formerly of Pennsburg, Pa.
Cathy grew up in Hatboro and Warminster, Pa., and graduated from William Tennent High School, class of 1962. She attended The Johns Hopkins Hospital School of Nursing in Baltimore, Md., receiving her diploma in 1965. As a Registered Nurse, she generously gave of herself in helping others, in all walks of life, throughout her long career. Her radiant kindness was obvious to those who knew her well - and even to many who did not. Family members recall strangers coming up to Cathy in stores or restaurants and exclaiming, “You are such a kind person!” Cathy never commented about these encounters, but confided that she was just trying to go about life “with a servant’s heart.”
Some couldn’t understand that and faulted her for being too self-effacing, but she didn’t mind. Her focus was elsewhere - not on promoting her ego but on living her faith as a humble and compassionate Christian, come what may. She remained true to this even as the progression of her disease took its relentless toll, and both old friends and those who had come to know her only recently spoke of the spark of joy and vivacity they recognized in her eyes and facial expressions. Those who could perceive this were richly rewarded.
Cathy was the exuberant center of gravity for her extended family, able to combine clinical level-headedness when necessary with a readiness to laugh and encourage her children and grandchildren to explore the rich tapestry of their world. She tackled the challenges of tending her toddler on the high plains of East Africa for weeks “on safari,” a different set of challenges raising her children in Paris, France, and Geneva, Switzerland, enabling them to become open-minded but personally grounded citizens of the world; and years laboring with her husband to restore a 130-year-old Georgia Victorian house near Athens, Ga., where many memorable family gatherings took place under her supervision.
But she came to feel most at home in Lewes, initially as a seasonal migrant but eventually as a year-round resident. All of the cultural offerings and natural beauty of the wider Cape Region delighted and inspired her. Most of all, she said, she treasured her connection with St. Peter’s Church and its inspiring liturgy, lively preaching, glorious music, and the overflowing affection and support of its congregants. These feelings continued to be evident even after she lost her ability to speak, and in recent years her engaged “front-and-center” presence at Sunday services and at concerts of the Saint Cecilia Guild was heartwarming and inspiring to her many friends.
Cathy and her family were deeply appreciative of the caring support tendered by members of Vitas Hospice Care and by volunteers with Greater Lewes Community Village, all of whom enhanced her final months of life in immeasurable ways.
A memorial service for Cathy will be held at 11 a.m., Saturday, Nov. 30, at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, Second Street in Lewes, with a reception afterwards in the Parish Hall. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that contributions in Cathy’s memory be made to St. Peter’s Church, PO Box 464, Lewes DE 19958.
