On Sunday, November 30, God decided there were not enough beautiful people in Heaven and called upon Mary Elizabeth King to join Him there. Mary was born in East Liverpool on September 20, 1926, the daughter of the late Frank and Harriett Duffy, and was a lifetime area resident.

A 1944 graduate of East Liverpool High School, she remained true to her alma mater, and often attended the annual Olde Guard luncheon with her sister, Helen. Mary enjoyed her friendships in the 30 + 30 Seniors group, and could often be seen laughing over a good card game. Devoted and loyal to family and friends alike, Mary was a constant presence – especially to those in need. For many years, she volunteered for FISH and Meals on Wheels, and was a familiar face at the East Liverpool City Hospital information desk.

Raised at St. Ann Church, she was a 62-year member of St. Aloysius Church, where she became the first female Eucharistic minister in the late 1960’s. Her faith was of utmost importance to her, and she possessed an incredible strength and resilience. This was tested with the death of the love of her life and husband, Richard “Doc” King in 1960. She suddenly found herself a single mother with four children under the age of eight. She was determined, despite this unimaginable, life-changing event, that her kids would be raised in a loving, stable home and given every opportunity to be successful in their lives. Her children gave her hope, gave her a reason to push on despite being overwhelmingly sad at the loss of her husband.

Her consistent focus was on her children succeeding and achieving. Upon the death of her husband, Mary returned to school to become an educator, later receiving both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Education. She began her teaching career at St. Aloysius School in 1966, then moved to the East Liverpool City School District, where she retired from Westgate Elementary in 1990. As a teacher, she knew that you had to excel in the classroom in order to be successful in life. A typical evening in their May Street home was Mary sitting at her desk and her four children sitting at the dining room table—she was doing her schoolwork and the kids were doing theirs.

Mary is survived by her four children: “her twins”, Carolyn (Richard) Hahn of Youngstown; and Marilyn (Karl) Kaucher of Taylor Mill, KY; and her two sons, Richard (Kitty) King of Dublin; and James (Deb) King of Columbiana, as well as her siblings, Francis “Frank” Duffy of Tinley Park, IL, and Helen Duffy of East Liverpool.

She also leaves behind her eleven grandchildren, fourteen great-grandchildren, two step-granddaughters and four step-great-grandchildren. Mary will also be missed by her many friends from May Street, Spruce Meadows and Crossroads at Beaver Creek.

Visitation will be from 4 until 8 p.m. on Thursday at Dawson Funeral Home. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at Holy Trinity Parish at St. Aloysius Church at 10:00 a.m. on Friday.

Mary will be laid to rest at Riverview Cemetery, followed by a time of continued remembrance and a luncheon at the Dawson Family Center.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Mary E. King (Mary Duffy), please visit our Heartfelt Sympathies Store.