Mary Ann Taylor

I am sorry to report that recently, SRAC lost one of their own. Mary Ann Taylor was a dear friend to all of us at SRAC, as well as a long time board member and volunteer. In fact she was the one who took the gift shop under her wing and made it work, while I was still working full time at the hospital...

Mary Ann was one of those people that although having tough times of her own, was dedicated to having fun and making people find the humor in just about anything...She would go to the Salvation Army regularly to find items for SRAC to use for table toppers and displays, and while she was there would find outrageous items for herself, like gold glittered sneakers that she would wear quite often and as many of those singing, animated toys - like Santa's reindeer on a motorcycle or whatever that she could find....

She also was loaded with artistic talent - able to sing, play instruments, paint, sew, sculpt, and create jewelry with ease, she even gave jewelry making classes and was always eager to create something for us to sell in the gift shop to raise funds.

But more than all of her talents and work she did at SRAC, Mary was our friend and you cannot imagine the horror we felt when she went last February for a seemingly routine procedure and spent the rest of her life trying to recover from it...Over that time we would visit, send her cards and pictures, and would call her when we had group meetings when she was able to talk just to try to raise her spirits...And recently we really did think that she was going to make it...as she was using a walker and was finally having surgery to close wounds that were left open since February....

You can imagine our heart break when we received the news that she passed away last Saturday...

Today the SRAC family will meet and go to Mary Ann's services at the Waverly Methodist Church and mourn the loss of our dear friend. We had these cards made for the services for everyone to have and remember her and what a special person she was in our lives. Rest in peace dear friend -in our suffering your loss, your suffering has ended.

Mary Keene (left) Mary Ann Taylor (right)

This time of year I think about how Halloween was one of Mary Ann's holidays. In fact she talked us into hosting several Halloween events over the years - and she would make sure to dress up in the most incredible costumes that she made from scratch usually.

Always one to laugh and make fun, here is a video she loved that we did years ago that sums up our silliness and love for one another. Happy Early Halloween from the SRAC Gang with this video that Mary Ann "starred" in in 2009 ! (Cast: Dr. Frankenstein: MaryAnne Taylor, Frankenstein: Ted Keir, The Bride of Frankenstein: Susan Fogel, Wolfman: Dick Cowles, Dracula: Tom Vallilee.)

Just click the image below to enjoy the show!

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Mary Ann - we will miss you always.