Mary Hannon Rehwinkel

She was preceded in death by her husband of 58 years, Charles Clarence Rehwinkel. She is survived by four children Julia, Charles, James (Susan) and Brian, and three grandchildren, Catherine Rehwinkel, Anna Laura (Tyson) Rehwinkel and Olivia Rehwinkel.

Mary was born in 1929 in Pittsburgh to James and Hannah (Long) Hannon, both natives of the Republic of Ireland. She was raised by her maternal uncle, John Long and his wife Nora from early childhood. Mary excelled in the classroom and graduated as salutatorian of her high school class and graduated with honors from Albertus Magnus College in New Haven, Connecticut. She taught school in Union County, Ohio before winning an academic fellowship to attend graduate school at the University of Florida where she earned a Master of Arts degree in history in 1956. Upon graduation, she taught high school and coached the girls’ high school basketball team in Everglades (now Everglades City), Florida where she met her future husband, a state auditor she called “Ray.” After a wedding in Naples, Florida and a honeymoon in Havana, Cuba, the couple lived in Labelle and Ft. Meyers where their first two children were born. Tallahassee was next where a third child was born. In 1962, they moved to Pensacola where they completed their family with a third son and established a home for the next 53 years.

Mary continued her teaching career at Sacred Heart Parish School before transitioning to Pensacola Junior College (now Pensacola State College) to develop and teach in a nursing preparatory program in the adult education department. She retired from PJC in 1995, as a full professor, after twenty-five years on the faculty, including tenure as president of the faculty senate. In retirement, Mary and Ray volunteered hundreds of hours at their respective churches, while also enjoying weekends and holidays with their children and grandchildren—particularly the grandchildren! They traveled the world and celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in Taos, New Mexico, which symbolized the happy memories of the many annual family vacations and travels that the couple felt important to provide for their children. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that friends consider donations to Big Bend Hospice.

A funeral Mass will be celebrated on Friday, September 29, 2023 at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church at 11:00 A.M. Interment will follow in Crawfordville Cemetery.