Mary Jane Bakos

A Funeral Mass for Mary Jane (Dolan) Bakos, 93, of Hilton Head, formerly of Newark, will be held at St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church, 12 Noon, Thursday, October 30, 2025, with Fr. Tom Gardner as celebrant. Friends and family may call at the church for one hour prior to the service. Burial in St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery will immediately follow services.

Mary Jane, a parishioner of St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church, died at Bayshore Assisted Living, Hilton Head, SC, surrounded by her loving family on Tuesday, October 21, 2025. She was born in Newark, Ohio on March 25, 1932, to the late Charles and Florence (Pritchard) Dolan.

A 1950 graduate of St. Francis de Sales High School, Mary Jane attended St. Mary of the Springs College for one year prior to transferring to Ohio University where she earned her Bachelors in Education and was a member of the Alpha Zi Delta Sorority. Mary Jane was the first lay teacher hired at Blessed Sacrament Elementary School where she taught 5th grade for many years.

Devoted to the community, Mary Jane and her husband, John, supported several local organizations which included the Licking County Foundation, Salvation Army, Licking Memorial Health Systems, OSU-Newark, St. Francis de Sales Church, and St. Jude’s Research Hospital. Mary Jane was a member of the Moundbuilders Country Club and PEO Sorority, Newark. She enjoyed traveling the world with her husband and visiting their second home in Hilton Head, the location for many memorable family vacations over the years.

Mary Jane adored her family, especially her grandchildren and great grandchildren and took great joy in shopping for those she loved. She took great pride in decorating her house, making it a home to welcome all, especially during the Christmas Season.

She will be greatly missed by her children, Beth (Michael) Lusk, Jeff (Kim) Bakos, and Amy Turk; her 6 grandchildren, Emily (Kevin) Battle, Dr. Keegan (Maria) Bakos, Joseph, Josh, Samantha, and Mary Kate Turk; two great-grandchildren, Arlo Lusk Battle and Rory John Bakos; sister-in-law, Rosemary (Joe) Schilder; and several nieces and nephews.

In addition to her parents, Mary Jane was preceded in death by her high school sweetheart and husband of 64 years, John A. Bakos (married, April 18, 1953); her father-in-law and mother-in-law, John and Mary (Vargo) Bakos; brother and sister-in-law, Charles and Barbara Dolan; and nephews, Patrick and Terry Dolan.

The family of Mary Jane would like to thank the caretakers at Home Instead (Granville and North Ridgeville) and Quality Home Care Services in Hilton Head, S.C., for the dedication, care and support they provided over these last several years.

In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude’s Place, Memphis, TN 38105, or St Francis de Sales Catholic Church, Newark, Ohio.

Reed-Egan Funeral home is assisting the family with arrangements. To share your memory of Mary Jane or leave a condolence for the family, please visit www.reedegan.com.