OUR INSPIRATION
Mary Durstine McArtor Reynolds
Mary, age 55, passed away on January 7, 2020, after a courageous five year battle with metastatic endometrial cancer. Mary’s beautiful life, far too short, was a shining example of the positive and lasting impact one woman can have on the people and the world around her. Mary’s quiet leadership, grace, compassion and commitment to the well-being of others impacted all who were fortunate enough to know and work with her, and she is greatly missed by all for her warmth and willingness to give to others.
Throughout her life, Mary immersed herself in innumerable volunteer projects and positions, big and small. Among them, Mary was a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution (2010 to 2019, Palm Beach, FL) where she chaired the American History Essay Contest for middle school
students; the Junior League of the Palm Beaches (1997 to 2008, West Palm Beach, FL) where she ultimately served as President (2005 to 2006) and led the League to generate 60,000 membership volunteer hours, as well as significant financial contributions, to local community projects; and the Junior League of Pittsburgh (1995 to 1997, Pittsburgh, PA) where she worked on the Literacy Project and served as a reading tutor for children. Mary was also a very active volunteer at Western Reserve Academy (Hudson, OH) where she was a member of the Alumni board (2010 to 2017) and the Waring Prize Committee (1994 to 1999) and at her children’s schools, sometimes visibly and sometimes not, including The Pine School (2006 to 2015, Hobe Sound, FL) where Mary became a member of the Board of Trustees (2010 to 2015), Bak Middle School of the Arts (2006 to 2009, West Palm Beach, FL), and Saint Mark’s Episcopal School (2000 to 2006, Palm Beach Gardens, FL).
Mary taught French at the Westover School (1987 to 1989, Middlebury, CT) and the University School (1989 to 1991, Nashville, TN). Mary graduated from Dartmouth College (1987, Hanover, NH), where she was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta sorority, served as the President of the Pan-Hellenic Council and spent a semester abroad in Toulouse, France; and Western Reserve Academy (1983, Hudson, OH) where she was captain of the swim team, spent a summer in Saint Thibault, France, and achieved a National French Placement Award. Mary was born on November 3, 1964, in Durham, NC, and raised in Salem, OH.