Mary Kay Withrow

WITHROW

On October 30, 2016, Mary Kay Withrow (nee Shaver) passed away peacefully in her home at Choctaw Lake in Madison County, Ohio. She had struggled for nearly a decade with a degenerative neurological disease. Mary Kay was 72. She was a loving, nurturing wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, teacher and friend. Born in Columbus, Ohio, on December 23, 1943, Mary Kay grew up on the Hilltop, was graduated from West High School in 1961 and from The Ohio State University in 1965. She was an active member of Sullivant Avenue Friends Church. Throughout her life Mary Kay devoted herself to youth programs and education. She taught school in Columbus, North Augusta, SC, Cincinnati, and Bainbridge Township (near Cleveland). In 1978, while her three children were small,  Mary Kay founded the Parents’ Day Out Pre-School Program at Plymouth Church in Shaker Heights, Ohio. In the following nine years, she served as Director of the program building it into a well-respected community resource that is thriving today. In 1987, she moved with her family to Geauga County, Ohio, where she became the Activities Director of the YMCA Camp. She left that position to become caregiver for her mother-in-law. Mary Kay finished her teaching career at Timmons Elementary School. She was a dedicated member of Bainbridge Community United Church of Christ, focusing her efforts on youth education. In 2004, Mary Kay moved to Choctaw Lake where she had several years to enjoy retirement and grandchildren before her disease struck. Mary Kay is preceded in death by her father LaVerne Guy Shaver and mother Maurine Shaver. She is survived by her husband Charles; her three children Jason Andrew Withrow (Jamie), Jennifer Lee Sayre (Troy), and Rebecca Ann Allard (David); her grandchildren Jacob Withrow, Abigail Sayre, Carson Sayre, Jonas Withrow, Jocie Withrow, and McKinley Allard; her sisters Delpha Dee Wolf, Rebecca Nichols, and Ruthanne Cook; her nieces and nephews, Cynthia Shaw, William Wolf, Reid Nichols, Chris Cook, Kelly Morrison, and Juliana Wolf. A memorial service will be held on Monday, November 7, 11:00am, at Amlin United Methodist Church, 5441 Cosgray Rd., Dublin, Ohio 43016.  In lieu of flowers, small donations in Mary Kay’s memory may be made to the Amlin United Methodist Church Children’s Ministry. Special thanks is extended the Tom Sanders, Kay Baumann, Brenda Clifton and the entire Mt. Carmel Hospice staff who helped Mary Kay’s last months be comfortable and peaceful.