Blue Slipper Stories
Widows’ Guild Newsletter ̵ Summer 2021
Though she reminisces on the times she’s helped strangers, her favorite memories are of helping Willy. “We liked to fix things and build. Willy liked cars and worked on his old 1929 Model A. He got it painted, and I did the upholstery inside,” Mary Anne said. “He was left-handed, and I’m right-handed, so we couldn’t always work together, but we were a partnership.”
A BEACON OF LIGHT Mary Anne O’Neil recalls her late husband, Willy, telling her to “turn off that beacon” shining on her head when they were shopping at a mall one holiday season. That beacon Willy referred to was the invisible glow he believed attracted so many people who were in need of assistance to Mary Anne. Mary Anne has been helping others her whole life. Her love for helping grew in 2006 when she volunteered with a Boy Scout troop. “I took the children on fishing trips and car races. They weren’t my kids, but I got more involved because their parents weren’t,” Mary Anne said. “I realized it gave me a real sense of fulfillment.” Throughout her 62 years, Mary Anne has helped dozens of people. From a stranded family at a gas pump needing to escape a bad situation, to bringing her new puppy to a hospital to cheer up her husband and the other patients, making others feel good is “natural” for Mary Anne. “You bend and do things for the people you love,” Mary Anne said.
Mary Anne recalls many other memories with Willy, especially the ones they shared with their American Eskimo dog, Danny. The couple traveled around the country in their motorhome to breed shows with Danny. After Willy’s passing in July 2020, Mary Anne continues to attend breed shows and, most importantly, she’s still busy helping others. Mary Anne recently became a member of the Masonic Widows’ Guild and says she hopes to reach out and extend her helping hand to other widows in similar situations by using the Widow’s Guild Directory. “I want to help,” Mary Anne said. “If you need a ride to an appointment or a screen fixed, I’ll be there. I can’t knit with you, but I’ll have a cup of coffee and chat.” Due to pandemic restrictions, Mary Anne hasn’t had the opportunity to meet any of the other members of the Guild, but she said she is looking forward to creating new relationships now that it’s time to get out and about. “I’m here to share a smile, and share their smile,” Mary Anne said, and, as Willy would say, her beacon of light. *Mary Anne resides in North Huntingdon, Westmoreland County, PA.