Mary Barbara Dalby

Mary Barbara (Dudderar) Dalby

Mary Barbara Dalby passed away peacefully in her daughter's arms at her home in Ottawa Hills, Ohio, on Friday, February 11, 2022, at the age of 76, after many years with progressive lung disease. She was surrounded by love, music, flowers and her meticulous houseplants, of which she had many.

Born on May 24, 1945, in Pittsburgh, PA, she was the only daughter and eldest child of Frederick and Barbara Dudderar. A 1963 graduate of Portage (Ind.) High School, she received her undergraduate degree in English ('67) and master's degree in library science ('69) from Indiana University in Bloomington, where she graduated with honors.

In August 1969, she married George Dalby and they lived in the Chicago suburb of Glenview, IL, where she worked as a librarian at Glenbrook South High School. In 1976, her beloved daughter Megan was born with her same sparkling blue eyes, wit and sense of curiosity.

Job prospects in 1980 brought the family to Toledo and they settled in Ottawa Hills. Mary was involved in many civic and social groups, including the Junior League and American Association of University Women. She supported Toledo Area Metroparks and was the president of the International Park board when in 1987, it acquired the 617-foot iron ore freighter, the Willis B. Boyer, now the Col. James M. Schoonmaker Museum Ship, at the National Great Lakes Museum.

In 1992, she purchased the M/V Sandpiper, a 65-foot river boat modeled after old Erie Canal crafts. For 25 seasons, she captained cruises on the Maumee River and Lake Erie, entertaining countless passengers with her legendary sense of humor, commanding voice, and vast knowledge of Toledo and the Great Lakes. She was known by many as "The Boat Lady."

As a prominent small business owner, she was deeply invested in the city, striving to make it better. Mary was a member of the Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce as well as the Maumee and Port Clinton area chambers. She frequently attended local government and downtown development meetings and events.

Deeply loyal and blessed with a bright and easy smile, Mary made many friends and kept them for life. She treasured one-on-one conversations, tradition, sharing stories and facts about any item of interest. If it was important to a friend, it became important to her. Through friendships she acquired varied interests including a passion for Notre Dame football, Jimmy Buffet, and Highland bagpipes.

Mary enjoyed her friends, playing bridge, and laughing over lunch. She loved ice cream, chocolate, Diet Coke and fresh-cut flowers from her garden–often gifting and receiving blooms from friends and neighbors. She enjoyed traveling and visiting friends and family, especially her daughter and grandsons. As her health declined, she remained deeply embedded in the community and a distinctive social media presence, frequently featuring amateur weather reports and conditions on her patio table–seriously!

She is survived by her daughter, Megan "Kristi" Dalby-Jones of Park Ridge, IL; grandsons, Parker and Ian; brother, Dixon (Julie) Dudderar of Harbor Springs, MI; brother, Frederick (Jennifer) Dudderar of Duluth, MN; and many nieces and nephews in Michigan, Minnesota, California, New Mexico, Colorado, Texas, Oregon, Ohio, Massachusetts and elsewhere. Her family bids her bon voyage and smooth sailing in the great beyond.

In Mary's memory, the family encourages each person touched by her spirit to carry out acts of service and civic engagement. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Harvesting 4 Haiti, the Great Lakes Historical Society, or the Cherry Street Mission in Toledo.

Visitation will be held at Coyle Funeral Home in Toledo on Saturday, February 19, from 1-6 p.m. A private family service is planned for the spring. Please leave a condolence message for the family at CoyleFuneralHome.com.

www.coylefuneralhome.com