Mary Ellen McGinley

WILKES-BARRE — Mary Ellen McGinley, 80, a proud lifelong resident of the Heights section of Wilkes-Barre, passed away peacefully surrounded by her loving family at her home on Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024.

Mary Ellen graduated from G.A.R. Memorial High School, Class of 1962, where she was crowned the Shamrock Queen. She loved rooting for her Grenadiers many years after she graduated, and two generations of her family would graduate from that same stage.

Not long after graduation, she met her husband of sixty years, Edward "Ned" McGinley. In their decades together, they built a phenomenal family in which they take great pride. They also rescued their beloved home from demolition, while raising two children and pregnant with their third, and turned it into a place where her family will be able to celebrate her memory for many years to come. Mary Ellen also cherished her job as a proxy mother for Ned's wrestlers, during the years he coached at King's College.

Mary Ellen went on to work for many years at Luzerne County Head Start. In her position there, she helped shape the lives of students and their parents. She also built lifelong friendships with her colleagues, which she cherished.

Despite all her many accomplishments, Mary Ellen was most proud of her family, although we did a pretty good job of making her crazy most of the time. She is survived by her husband, Ned; and their three children: Seana McGinley and her partner, Jim Kase; Edward Paul McGinley III; and Bridget McGinley and her husband, Stanley Mirin.

During the final months of her life, her daughter Bridget was her constant caretaker. This ensured that Mary Ellen could pass at the home she adored with her loving family, something for which she and her family are immensely grateful.

All who met Mary Ellen knew how much her grandchildren meant to her. She helped mold them into the fine people they have become. James McGinley, Rose McGinley-Kase, Autumn McGinley, Jessie McGinley-Kase, Cailleach McGinley, Helen McGinley-Mirin, Evin McGinley-Mirin, and Sadie McGinley-Mirin, as well as her two great-grandchildren, Chance McGinley-Kase and Lorelei Cervantes, will never forget her love and guidance.

Additionally, Mary Ellen's beloved niece, Alexandra Fennell, to whom she was at times a second mom, was incredibly important to her. Alex, her partner Mia, and their four children: Benjamin, Harrison, Stella, and Caspar, were always in her thoughts.

While Mary Ellen was a kid running the streets of the Heights, she met her lifelong sidekick and best friend, Pam McClure. "Aunt" Pam, as Mary Ellen's children and grandchildren came to call her over the years, was more a sister than a friend. Pam and her children, who grew up with their "Aunt" Mary Ellen, were an everlasting source of happy memories.

Mary Ellen is preceded in death by her parents, Helen and James Corbett; her beloved and deeply missed sister, Claire Fennell; and her brother-in-law, John Fennell.

Mary Ellen's family will celebrate her life privately.

Since she will be unable to do so, Mary Ellen's other request is that everyone vote to ensure that her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, especially her granddaughters, do not grow up to have fewer rights than she had.

The family and friends of Mary Ellen extend their deepest thanks to the amazing caregivers, especially those at Allied Rehab and Hospice Services; and Iliana McGloe, her home health aide, who became a true friend of the entire McGinley family.

Share memories and condolences with Mary Ellen's family at mjmclaughlin.com.