Mary Helen Mahar

Mary Helen Cheyne Mahar passed away in her home on January 30. She lived a full and vibrant life, and in the end, she fought the good fight, finished the race, and kept her faith (II Timothy 2:7).

Born on November 17, 1932, in Moline, her parents were William and Claire Cheyne. She was part of her family’s 4 generation enrollment at Garfield Elementary, and she graduated from MHS in the Class of ’50, whose yearbook described her as having “personality, beauty and a brain.” She matriculated to Knox College, majored in English, and was a Pi Beta Phi Sorority member. In 1953 she married Frank “Cork” Mahar, and they were married for 49 years until Cork’s passing in 2002. They were also business partners, operating Frank Mahar Realtors for four decades.

Deeply involved in her community, Mary was an active member of the First Congregational Church, Friends of the Moline Public library and served on the Board of the YMCA. She was a member of the Tri-City Garden Club, a 60-year member of PEO, and continued to be active as a Pi Phi Alum.

She was immensely curious, which showed in her voluminous reading and the sometimes-gentle way she would inquire about your life story. She inspired lifelong learning in her family and always had an inspiring book recommendation for all. She loved and practiced the arts, including; painting, photography, needlepoint, flower arranging, and home décor.

She and Cork loved entertaining and spending time with friends and family. She was an accomplished and imaginative cook and loved an evening of laughter and lively singing. Mary brought enthusiasm to those around her and was genuinely interested in everyone’s life. She could transform anything into an enjoyable social event, from a visit to the Dr. to a shopping trip to the Little Traveler.

Survivors include her children, Charlie (wife Teri and their children Meghan, Winston, Anna, and Sandy), Kathleen Rynott (and her sons Tom and Peter), Tevis Mahar (Jimmy and her kids Claire and Will), and France Driscal (Mike and her kids Abe and Maggie), and three great-grandchildren, Lion, Puma, and Catherine.

A funeral service and a “Mary Celebration” will be held at 11:00 am at First Congregational Church in Moline on Friday, February 24, 2023, with a family-only burial service prior at Riverside Cemetery in Moline. The funeral will be live-streamed and may be accessed via her memory page at the time of her service.

In place of flowers, memorials may be made to Friends of the Moline Public Library, First Congregational Church, Moline, or Two Rivers YMCA.

Family and friends are invited to share memories and express condolences at wendtfuneralhome.com