Molly Parkinson

Mary Oliver Owens was born at the Columbia Women's Hospital in Washington D.C. on February 3rd, 1940, to Janet Trusler and Stanley Albert Owens. Two years later, a little brother joined the family, Stanley Jr. (called Bunky).

Molly (Mary never stuck) grew up on Main Street in what was still very small-town Manassas, Virginia, with aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents as next-door neighbors. Molly's grandmother - her name was Gummy - convened Sunday dinners for the extended family and Molly and her brother set and cleared the table. An oft-shared anecdote involved her frequent summer job, where Molly worked the switchboard at the local telephone company - always a cheery voice on the line helping connect neighbors, with a rare and exciting call from New York, or even overseas sometimes.

Following her graduation from Sweet Briar College in 1961, Molly moved to Washington D.C. and worked in the cartography department of National Geographic. After getting married in 1962 she lived for a few years each in Philadelphia, New York, Indianapolis at Ft. Benjamin Harrison, then moved back to New York which would be Molly's home for the next 53 years. She raised her two children in Manhattan and was an engaged member of her neighborhood community.

Molly attended The Church of the Holy Trinity where she discovered the work of Search and Care, a nascent not-for-profit dedicated to supporting homebound elderly clients in Yorkville. She served on the Board of Search and Care for over 40 years, including a decade as president. With a newly discovered appetite for governance and a no-nonsense approach to getting things done, Molly joined the Board of The Spence School (where she served as a Trustee and then president) and then The Tuttle Fund (where she served as a Board member and then president) and numerous other educational and social service agencies along the way. Molly also worked for a number of years establishing the New York office for development and alumni efforts for St. Stephen's School, an American school in Rome. She was an active member of the Cosmopolitan Club (where she served as a Board member and then president) and was a parishioner at The Church of the Heavenly Rest. She chaired the Library Committee at Pocono Lake Preserve, her family summer home for more than 50 years. As a life-long reader, it would be difficult to imagine a role she took on with more gusto than buying scores of newly published books annually, offering an excuse for many trips to The Strand.

Molly was a devoted and loving friend. More than the achievements listed above, her relationships and the deep friendships she tended were her true accomplishments. Her authentic care, her matter-of-fact approach to life, and her loyalty to her friends and family forged lifelong bonds. At the end of her life, her friends remained devoted and engaged, supporting her from afar. She was lifted by messages from friends in New York, summer friends, her book group, and those friends one has from so long ago they defy grouping.

In 2021, after 53 years in New York, Molly moved to Washington D.C., to be closer to her children and in particular, her four grandchildren. She was able to see them grow, hear first hand stories of triumphs on the ice or the water, celebrate college plans, and see her family thrive around her.

Molly died on May 7th at Georgetown University Hospital. She was 85 years old. She is survived by her daughter, Glenn Parkinson, and her son James Parkinson, both children from her marriage to Jim Parkinson; her daughter-in-law, Susan Monahan Parkinson; her four grandchildren, Cate, Anna, Liam and Lulu; and her many friends. Molly's no-nonsense wisdom, her knack for a surgical question, her humor, and her wonderful laugh will be sorely missed. We hold her in the light.

A Memorial Service will be held at 2 pm on Saturday, June 7th at The Cosmopolitan Club in New York City. If you are able to join us for the reception that follows please let us know at jtp@rcn.com. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Search and Care (searchandcare.org) or the Memorial Committee at Pocono Lake Preserve.