Memorial for Mary Lockwood Scott, 2002, by S. A. Johnston

From MemoryArchive

Who: Mary Lockwood Scott
What: read at memorial service
When: April, 2000
Where: Southfield MI

Memorial for “My favorite aunt”, Mary

While I was so very young and my memory was still in its formative stage, my dad took home movies. The other female in them–besides my mother–was Aunt Mary. Those movies were shown again and again as I was growing up. And they constituted a treasured “memory” all their own. In my mind’s eye I can see her holding me or watching me romp, beaming with pleasure, giving meaning to the word family. In other scenes, be they Christmas or outdoors, she was shown talking with Mom or the cameraman (Dad). I loved being enveloped in this family! Having known Mary for over five decades, I remain impressed with (first) her public self: the capable, personal and ambitious woman who rose steadily in responsibility and recognition in her (eventual) profession of copywriter. (I was proud to have 2 close relatives who made their living with words–Dad being, of course, the other.)

Her other side was varied. She was a family-oriented person without having a husband of her own or children (until Barbara was born, of course). She was warmly receptive for me to be part of her family; indeed, at times, my second mother. She was good to me and didn’t ignore me. Oh, it can be said she was opinionated and stubborn; also tenacious. Fortunately, we largely agreed on liberal political values. Spoiled youngster as I was, Mary often came down on the side of, well, discipline and standards.

Mary and I corresponded after college, spoke on the phone–she often had an anecdote to tell about her pets, mainly cats. And I guess I didn’t see her all that much after I moved my family to Colorado in 1970. But I kept in touch, as I knew how central she was to my life. Barbara was undoubtedly the answer to Mary’s prayers. She grew up to be a fine young woman. Motherhood seemed agreeable to Mary despite the many sacrifices she made as a single parent. Also, the addition of another family member slowed the dwindling number of persons who could be called family by either Barbara or myself.

Mary must have been about the best sister my mother could have hoped for, more so following my father’s death in 1978. They came together under one roof. And when my mother’s health failed, Mary personified the quality of care giver about whom feature stories are written for newspaper publication; she was that special! (I’m only sorry I could not have been a better, more involved son and nephew and shared some portion of that enormous burden.)

Mary was my mother’s companion through the decades. By means of this virtue alone I saw Aunt Mary for the loving, devoted person she was. --There aren’t enough tears to express my sense of loss at her passing. God bless Aunt Mary, the treasure who has slipped beyond our grasp.