Mary Kay Goodwin was born in Waynesburg, March 9, 1946. She passed Friday, November 7, 2025, following a lengthy illness. She was the daughter of the late James A. and Mary S. Goodwin of Waynesburg. She is survived by her sisters, Elizabeth S. Goodwin of Upper St. Clair and Dolly G. Throckmorton (John) of Waynesburg. Also surviving are four nieces: Lydia MacArthur (Andrew), Claire O'Connor (Martin) of Upper St. Clair; Anne Holien (Dylan) and Meg Hill (Aaron) of Charlotte, North Carolina; three great-nieces: Flora MacArthur, Amelia Holien, and Quinn O'Connor; and one great-nephew Oliver MacArthur. Mary Kay was a 1964 graduate of Waynesburg High School. She was a 1968 graduate of Allegheny College in Meadville, Pennsylvania, receiving a BA in Sociology. She resided and worked in the Boston, Massachusetts area for 20 years. She was the administrator of the Girl Scout Camps of Massachusetts and Director of Community Action in Quincy, Massachusetts. She later pursued an MBA from Simmons College in Boston. She was inspired by this program when she read that two female professors from Harvard were providing a feminist perspective on business skills in an all-women university. She graduated in record time while working full-time and became one of the early graduates of the prestigious program. She worked as a management consultant for Touche-Ross and Prime Computer before ending her career as an independent investigator for employment discrimination and EEO claims for federal employees. Two words to best describe her interests would be traveling and shopping. She travelled to all 50 states and every continent. Her travels took her to China, Europe, Australia, Antarctica, Africa, Russia, Ukraine, New Zealand, Greece, Israel and the Amazon just to name a few. She loved to bring her family gifts from all the places she visited, and gift giving was not limited to family. She spent over 20 years buying Christmas presents for children in need. She also enjoyed being a host for teenagers through the Fresh Air Fund which sends teenagers from New York City to stay with families in rural areas. She was an incredibly involved and generous aunt, taking her nieces to all kinds of events throughout the year in Pittsburgh and even took them to France, Germany and Africa. She was present at all the nieces' activities and events, showering them with gifts and flowers. Mary Kay loved history. So much so that she completed a teaching degree in history later in life and taught at the Upward Bound program at Waynesburg College. She was an avid reader and was most intrigued by mystery and suspense series. Mary Kay was a lover of Siamese cats, owning several pairs over her lifetime. She was also an incredible cook, hosting fabulous dinners for friends and family throughout her life. An excellent baker, she made the most delicious and beautiful Christmas cookies that were too perfect to eat. She taught herself to embroider, making everyone's Christmas stockings by hand. An accomplished seamstress, she made countless Halloween costumes for her nieces. If she wanted to learn how to do something, she did. Her family joked that the only thing she couldn't do was ride a bike. Her sociology degree gave her a road map for her life of service to people. Her generosity and kind demeanor will be greatly missed by her family and all the people she encountered. Funeral arrangements by BEINHAUERS. Friends and Family are welcome at 2828 Washington Road, McMurray, 724-941-3211, from 3 to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, November 11, where a celebration of life, where family and friends will share memories, will be held at 6 p.m. Tuesday. Interment will be private at Oakmont Cemetery in Waynesburg. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Pittsburgh Area Food Bank,
https://pittsburghfoodbank.org/, or
The Salvation Army,
www.salvationarmyusa.orgPublished by Observer-Reporter from Nov. 9 to Nov. 10, 2025.