Mary (McKenzie) Pownall Obituary

Mary Frances McKenzie was born on January 24, 1925, in Appleton, Wisconsin, to Basil and Helen McKenzie. She was the second of five children. Mary spent her childhood in Appleton, attending St. Mary Catholic School, climbing trees with her siblings, and canoeing through Wisconsin lakes with a sense of adventure and a delight in the natural world that never left her. After her graduation with highest honors in 1943, she enrolled at Rosary College in River Forest, Illinois. There she majored in speech and was active in the drama society, student government, and the college newspaper. Mary was awarded a scholarship to Radcliffe College in Cambridge, Massachusetts (then the women’s college of Harvard University), where she earned a Certificate in Business Administration. She loved the adventure of moving across the country and all the excitement that came with living so close to Boston.

After completing her post-graduate work, Mary joined Kimberly-Clark Corp. and relocated to Niagara Falls, New York. It was at this company that she joined the Young Professionals group and met the love of her life, Raymond C. Pownall. Mary and Ray married on September 12, 1949, and enjoyed 57 years together until Ray sadly passed in 2006.

The couple moved to Olean, N.Y., in 1953. They had five children together: Thomas, James, Margaret, Stephen, and William. Mary always loved the outdoors, and she delighted in taking her children on picnics and outings to such local treasures as Rock City, Allegany State Park, and Chautauqua Lake. She made sure all her children knew how to swim, ice skate, and ski. Her children remember her as the kind of mother who could turn any ordinary afternoon into an adventure. A former Girl Scout and camp counselor in her youth, Mary was also active with her children in scouting, both as a Cub Scout and Girl Scout troop leader.

In 1972, Mary completed a master’s degree in education at St. Bonaventure University in Allegany. She worked for 15 years as the coordinator of the CAPS program for pregnant teenagers. Mary had a gift for meeting people exactly where they were, offering guidance without judgment. She also worked as a substitute teacher in the Olean school district and as an instructor at the Olean Business Institute.

Mary was a devoted member of St. Mary’s Parish, and she served for many years as a Eucharistic Minister, on the Parish Council, and on the Bereavement Committee. Her faith was quiet but steadfast and practical, expressed most clearly in the way she cared for people and her environment. After her retirement in 1990, Mary volunteered for many years with the Literacy Volunteers. She was a natural teacher and greatly enjoyed helping people improve their reading and writing skills.

Mary was much loved for her grace, dignity, wit, and warm heart. She had many friends and acquaintances and dearly loved her Olean community. Her interests included gardening, swimming, crossword puzzles, and games. She took her games seriously and always went for the win, as her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren can attest.

She is survived by her sons Thomas C. (Mae), Fuquay-Varina, N.C., and James R. (Jean), Coatesville, Pa., and Stephen J. (Lynn), and William S. (Marsha), both of Frewsburg, N.Y., and her daughter Margaret A. (Ronald) Williams, Denver, Colo. Mary was blessed with eight grandchildren: Nathan (Laura) Pownall, the late Kristian Pownall, Jennifer (Cody) Guepet, Jameson Pownall, Holly (Thomas) Keily, Stephen (Stephanie) Williams, Kyle (Nikeah) Pownall, and Drew (Madeline) Pownall; and five great-grandchildren: Alexander Pownall, Marian Pownall, Michael Guepet, Raymond Pownall, and Callum Keily. She is also survived by many beloved nieces and nephews and their families; by Vanessa Vesotski and her son, Jackson Cornell; and by Rachel (Cody) Peace and Adam Cheney, and great-step-grandchildren Jasmine and Alice Peace and Henry Cheney.

Mary was a fantastic person in all the roles that she took on in her long and well-lived life. She was a wonderful mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, aunt, friend, and neighbor, and she leaves a huge hole in the lives of all who were so fortunate as to know her. Her legacy is one of love, humor, and joy in the countless lives she touched.