MAGRI, Mary

On November 5, Mary Magri (Hopkins) passed away from natural causes. She was 94. Mary is survived by her daughter, Francesca (Magri) Spero (John Spero), two granddaughters, Sara Spero (Tony McIntyre) and Samantha Spero (Zachary Reider), and two great-granddaughters Mya and Zoe Reider. Her zest for life will live on through them. She was predeceased by her husband, Frank J. Magri and granddaughter, Lauren Shock. Mary’s priority was her family – she loved unconditionally. She always had a smile on her face and a joke on the lips. The eternal optimist, Mary saw the good in everyone even though she had to overcome many hardships in her early life. She worked hard to become a cosmetologist after recuperating from the polio virus that necessitated leg braces from her late teens on. She was a small business owner, operating a beauty salon from her basement and then opening the Nimble Thimble Fabric Store in 1972. While her daughter was in high school, Mary decided to obtain her GED and enroll at Dundalk Community College. She completed her AS degree in 1977 and began work for the Baltimore City Commission on Aging, Volunteer Services Office as the Buddy Program Coordinator. Her role was to ensure that seniors living alone or in nursing homes always had someone to check in and advocate. Mary created innovative volunteer programs to assist lonesome seniors such as: Brown Bag Visitors encouraged corporate workers to visit a senior during the lunch hour and Students & Seniors Sharing paired junior high students with nursing home residents. Mary went on to obtain her BS degree in Sociology from the University of Baltimore in 1984, becoming the first of her seven brother/sisters to graduate from college. Mary retired from the Commission on Aging in 1991. She served as President of the Older Women’s League (OWL) for many years, advocating for better healthcare benefits for seniors. As the effects of Post-Polio Syndrome drastically limited her abilities, she lived on till the end with a smile (and joke) for every visitor and no complaints. In true Mary fashion, her last act included a gift to us all – she donated her body for scientific research. In lieu of flowers, Mary asks each of us to look for the humor and good in life as we strive

to love each other unconditionally. A private celebration of life will be held Nov. 21, Mary’s 95th birthday