Mary McCutcheon

Mary McCutcheon was blessed with an abundance of leadership qualities. It would be accurate to say that this woman was an outstanding luminary and that her natural abilities served her well. She knew with certainty how she wanted to set priorities in all aspects of her life. She struck those who knew her as the kind of person who awoke in the morning with a clear sense of exactly what she expected from her day and how to set about accomplishing those goals. Mary was a woman who definitely liked order and was most comfortable with an organized and structured lifestyle. When this climate was absent, Mary would set about immediately to create it.

      (Clara Marie) Mary was born on March 13, 1926 at the General Hospital in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. Her parents were Anne and Alfred Andrews. Mary was raised in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario at 160 Kohler St. Mary was brought up to be reasonable in her actions and was taught to use her intellect wisely. She was an honest and straightforward child, traits that reinforced her self-confidence. Even at a young age, Mary was credited with having a positive influence on those around her.

      The positive atmosphere that Mary generated spread to her family. Mary was raised with two siblings. She had two older sisters Elizabeth and Edith. Mary served as a catalyst within the family. She often found herself in the role of providing fair solutions to those sibling disputes. In every family activity, Mary was able to demonstrate her uncommon logic and skill at building compromise. One of her fond memories of her father was his garden which she called Sherwood Forest. Her parents also had an Au Pere who used to sleep with her feet out the window. Naturally her father got out the water hose. The Au Pere had no sense of humour. She packed her bags and left the next morning. Mary was also close to her extended family nieces and nephews, Ann and Elwood Bell, Charles and Shirley Bodley and Diane Ritchie and cousins, Bob & Marg Nelson.

      Mary's enthusiasm for learning and the personal energy that enthusiasm generated led to her exhibiting leadership qualities early on in her childhood. She liked to see things executed properly and showed a skill for taking control of situations that were drifting out of control. At the same time, she was willing to experiment with different approaches as she worked a plan towards a solution.

      When it came to academics and school, Mary's organizational skills reaped dividends. Mary was able to create a system for getting her class work done in a proper and timely manner. With a strong ability to analyze her schoolwork and assignments, she could apply a practical, common sense approach completing her studies. She showed a natural curiosity in the manner in which she tackled new types of problems and would regularly challenge her own reasoning ability in finding solutions. She enjoyed some courses more than others and developed favorite classes and teachers. She attended Alex Muir Elementary School and Sault Collegiate High School.

      The work habits and approaches to studying that Mary utilized in high school also served her well in college. Mary always seemed on a quest for knowledge. She was able to generalize, summarize and compile information for her classes, employing a matter-of-fact approach. Mary was intuitive and mentally alert, seemed to crave the challenge of solving complex problems. She earned her Nursing degree from St. Marys School of Nursing.

      In a group of friends and acquaintances, Mary was typically the first person to take the initiative to go up and greet someone new. That quality made her very approachable by others throughout her life. This same quality brought Mary the reward of many friends. Maintaining loyalty to those friends was a trait that came naturally to Mary. She believed that she should treat others in a fair manner, in the same way she wanted to be treated. Mary also showed a great deal of appreciation for the accomplishments of her friends. The local hang out was Capy's. While growing up, one of her best friends was Rita Mae Hollingsworth.

      Family and children were important to Mary, even if she didn’t always show it. Mary was blessed with two children, one son John Richard and one daughter Mary Patricia. Mary was able to keep order in the family by using the same efficient and straightforward methods with the family as she did at work. Mary rarely made a scene when it came to discipline. Instead, she was subtle and patient in her dealings when teaching the children right from wrong.

      At work Mary was viewed as a natural leader. She could marshal all of the available resources, including personnel and materials, in order to meet virtually any objective. She was great at developing strategies and made maximum progress with little wasted effort. Mary was also adept at uncovering new and more efficient ways of getting things done. She was able to establish and meet objectives and schedules through long range planning and was always able to keep the big picture clearly in sight. Although Mary might have been described by some as an overachiever, she was without question a dedicated and diligent employee. Her primary occupation was a Registered Nurse at the General Hospital. What she enjoyed most was the hands on care of the patients.

      Not only did Mary find pleasure in pursuing her various hobbies, she also enjoyed the discovery and research involved in learning about them. Her skill at problem solving had a positive influence on these activities as well. As a young girl she enjoyed canoeing and later cross country skiing. Her favorite pursuits were knitting and socializing.

      No matter what the activity was, Mary had the ability to motivate others. This talent influenced her participation in sports, too. She sought out the possibilities in a competitive situation, and she stayed cool and calm under pressure. She relished the stimulation of the action and energy associated with sports. Recreational sports included golf with several different friends. She was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed following her favorite events whenever she got the opportunity. Tops on her list were baseball and the Detroit Tigers. Her children fondly remember going to see the Detroit Tigers. Her son Richard was also athletic and was involved in High School football, baseball, tennis and bowling.

      Mary's ability to motivate, direct and organize others made her a valuable asset to the organizations to which she contributed during her lifetime. Mary was one who could be counted on to work hard to implement goals and required little to begin work on a specific task. Once a project was begun, Mary had a definite methodology for seeing it through to completion. Throughout her later years, Mary was an active member of the Maycourt Club and Canvasing for the Heart and Stroke Foundation. She also enjoyed community activities- Bon Soo, Summer concerts and Community Night. Her children remember her dressing them up for winter carnival and winning prizes.

      Mary was a woman who took pride in upholding her beliefs. Politically, Mary was a supporter of the conservative party and did canvas for them on occasion.

      Mary lived her life guided by a well-defined set of beliefs. Her faith and religion were important aspects of those beliefs. She had an Anglican background.

      Traveling, especially vacations, was another way for Mary to apply her exceptional leadership and organizational skills. She liked exploring different places but also enjoyed designing and scheduling the trips in advance. She had real talent for developing the perfect itineraries. Favorite vacations included visiting Patty in Calgary and also travelling with John Chow.

      Mary was a lover of animals and cherished her pets. Some of Mary's favorites were Scout the dog, a cat called Patches and Teddy the cat. Patches had a litter on Mary's white carpet.

       She had worked out all of the details well in advance and knew exactly what she was going to do. Mary moved to 99 Pine St. in Sault Ste. Marie which was a lovely apartment on the river with a view of the bridge. In retirement, she found new pleasure in watching the boats and her potted flowers in the summer. Always a well-informed person, Mary enjoyed adding to her wealth of knowledge. Retirement afforded her the time to enjoy that experience and provided one more opportunity to look ahead at what life might offer her. Some of her favourite music included Glen Miller, Perry Como and Dean Martin. She also enjoyed Kahlua and milk nightcaps.

      Mary passed away on December 6, 2013 at Mapleview Nursing Home, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. A result of Alzheimers Disease.

      Mary McCutcheon knew what she wanted from life and never hesitated in going after it. She could be characterized as a driven individual, someone who understood the importance of achievement. Mary was decisive and outspoken at times but was also positive and upbeat about most things. She was a leader, both intentionally and sometimes by default. If she saw that something needed to be done, she was always ready to step up and actualize, organize and implement a plan.

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McCUTCHEON, Mary – Peacefully on Friday, December 6, 2013 at Extendicare Maple View at age 87. Cherished mother of Patricia McCutcheon of Calgary and the late Richard McCutcheon. Fondly remembered by her nieces and nephews; Charles and Shirley Bodley, Ann and Elwood Bell, Diane Ritchie, and many great and great great nieces and nephews. Friends may call at Arthur Funeral Home and Cremation Centre on Friday, December 13, 2013 from 5 – 6:30 pm. Memorial service will follow in the chapel at 7 pm. The Very Rev. James McShane officiating. Memorial donations to the Alzheimer’s Society would be appreciated. Expressions of sympathy may be offered at www.arthurfuneralhome.com.