Mary Whitley
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Calvary Cemetery
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Obituary for Mary A. Whitley

Mary was born in Tacoma Washington. She is the youngest of four children and the only girl. Her brothers are Harry, Michael (deceased) and James. Mary lived in San Francisco for part of her childhood. She was educated at Catholic School and was an excellent student.

Mary was a librarian at a Catholic Elementary school and a public school teacher for decades. Mary’s skill as a teacher were very apparent. Her students benefitted from her excellent instruction and her care for each child. Because of these skills, she became an instructional coach. In this role she helped younger teachers gain important skills. Mary knew the importance of reading in all children’s lives and helped to create a culture of reading in schools. Using the Success for All reading program, she looked at the skills and needs of hundreds of students and placed them at their optimal instructional reading level. Mary’s dedication to all students was evident in the time and consideration she gave to each individual student. Through her organizational skills, schools of poverty went beyond expectations.

Mary had a deep Catholic faith and gave generously to charities. Through Catholic Community services, she visited the elderly or homebound; completing errands, they were not able to. She taught religious education at Holy Family for serval years and went beyond the basic curriculum, researching and creating excellent lessons so her students could grow in faith.

Mary enjoyed painting and gardening. She enjoyed traveling. Her last trip was to Canada to visit beloved cousins.

Mary was highly intelligent and always seeking new information. She was an avid reader.

Mary was a great friend. She had a wonderful sense of humor and insightful comments. She would make time for others and was always fun to visit with.

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