Mary Catherine Follin

Mary Kay Follin was born in Wichita Kansas (1926) to Frank and Mary Cusick and raised in Kansas City, Missouri, and spent her formative years in our nation’s Midwest. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a degree in International Relations and a Masters Degree in Early Childhood Education. During her college years she was a member of the Gamma Phi Beta Sorority and the Kappa Delta Pi Honorary Society.

She had an eight-year career with United Air lines as a flight attendant which ended when she married her love, Elmer Follin, a pilot with United Air lines. They were married on St. Patrick’s day in 1955 and sadly Elmer passed in 2007. They moved from Chicago, Illinois to Fort Lauderdale in 1965 and Mary Kay became an active volunteer with numerous community charities. She continued to lend her time and effort with “hands on” volunteering with many organizations.

Her interest in the arts has been a passion throughout her life beginning with the Philharmonic Society. She was a board member of the Symphony of the Americas Society since its inception and could always be counted on to help with any project. She was also a Founding and Life Member of the Royal Dames of Cancer Research that raises funds to encourage, aid, enrich and support valuable educational programs and critical cancer research at the Rumbaugh-Goodwin Institute for Cancer Research (RGI) of Nova Southeastern University.

Mary Kay’s dedication to others and her community has been recognized by many awards and honors. In 1991 she was named Woman of the Year by the Royal Dames. She also received the “Spirit of 76 Award” from the Freedom Foundation. Her credits also include the Presidencies of the University of Miami Broward Women’s Guild and Pine Crest School Founder’s Council.

She was always cheerfully ready to help and support the community when needed. She was deeply thankful for our great Symphony of the Americas and what they provided musically and socially, and proudly honored her as a woman of “Style and Substance”.

Mary Kay was a member of the Coral Ridge Country Club and the Coral Ridge Yacht Club. She defined her hobbies as an occasional game of bridge, traveling in remote areas of the world, and creating mischief with her close friends and family.

Mary Kay considered her proudest achievements were with her children. She was a loving and caring mother which is the epitome of motherhood. Her children are John (Wife Sheralynn and children Ryan and Brandon), Mary (Husband Toby and child Justin) and William (Wife Juliette and children Connor, Kate and John).

Mary Kay leaves a group of friends that she loved to be with and enjoyed their company. They too miss her and the fun times they all had together as young girls at heart.

Although she is missed by her family and by her friends, we are all comforted by her strong faith as a Catholic which has assured her a place in heaven where she is reunited with Elmer and other lost friends.

A celebration of life service held in her honor is scheduled for Wednesday. August 31 at 10:30AM at St John the Baptist Catholic Church located at 4595 Bayview Drive, Fort Lauderdale Florida.

Her family appreciates and is thankful for the loving care she received from the team of Manor Pines for the past four years.

In lieu of flowers, please donate a gift in memory to the Royal Dames of Cancer Research at https://www.royaldames.org/donate.html