MARY JANE MCGUIRE LANGSDORF
August 18, 1942 ˜ February 28, 2019
XOn February 28, 2019, Mary Jane McGuire Langsdorf, beloved wife, mother, and grandmother passed away at the age of 76.
XMary was born on August 18, 1942, in Kansas City, Missouri. Her first six years were lived in Elgin, Illinois, then she moved with her parents, “Pat” and Esther McGuire, and sister Nancy, to Park Ridge, Illinois. Mary attended college in Galesburg, Illinois, at Knox College where she earned a degree in Psychology and met and married William Martin. Together they had three children, Patricia, Michael and Sara.
XMary lived in Colorado and Germany with her family before moving to Tacoma, Washington, in 1975. Her love of travel, the mountains, and exploring foreign cultures stemmed from this time in her life.
XIn 1984, Mary moved to Vancouver, Washington and married Jay Langsdorf, with whom she had a daughter, Katharine Christine. Mary was dedicated to making her community a better place and she combined her loves of service, education, reading, and the arts in her work with SWIFT, PEO, the Fort Vancouver Regional Library Foundation, and she was instrumental in establishing the Foundation’s Authors and Illustrators annual fundraising dinners.
XMary loved the outdoors and whether it was the tamer joys of gardening or the adrenaline rush of scaling a mountain she found grace and peace in nature. Her adventurous spirit and love of travel guided her in scaling mountain peaks around the world including Mt. Rainier in her home state of Washington and Mt. Blanc in France.
XCloser to home, Mary enjoyed valued friendships with members of her bridge and book groups, practicing tai chi, playing the piano, and her church, First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), where she served as a board member and Elder. Through their church, Mary and Jay also participated in medical dental missions in Peru.
XHer other great love was her home in Goldendale. She and Jay used their collective skills to create a log home and surrounding landscape that was a gathering place for friends and family and a place of joy and serenity.
XMary is survived by her husband, Jay, four children, three stepchildren, 13 grandchildren, 2 sisters and brothers-in-law, and many nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews.
XA celebration of Mary’s life will be held at Columbia Presbyterian Church on March 30, 2019 at 1:00 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Fort Vancouver Regional Library Foundation, P.O. Box 2384, Vancouver, WA 98668.
Please sign her guestbook @ www.columbian.com/obits
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Jay, we are so sorry to hear this sad news.
Sincerely, Greg & Kathy Sork
March 24, 2019
Dr. Jay, Tracy and I were so very sorry to hear that Mary had passed away. Please know that you are in our thoughts and prayers. May God bless you and bring you peace.
Penny Smith
March 23, 2019
So sorry to hear about Mary, Jay. She was a real gem and will be missed tremendously by her family and friends. Love, Gerry and Nancy Papador
Gerald Papador
March 23, 2019
We are so sorry to hear of your loss, Jay.Our thoughts are with you in these difficult times.
Joyce Tobias
March 23, 2019
Jay: Sorry to hear about Mary. Praying for you and your family.
Pat & Becky Humphries
March 20, 2019
Mary, you are the best of humankind. May God bless you real
well.
Lyndee Cunningham
March 19, 2019
Ranny and I are wishing you peace and comfort with the strength of family and friends.
Sincerely,
Ranny and Mary Anderson
Ranny-Mary Anderson
March 17, 2019
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