Mary Josephine (McKinny) Pyles, formerly of South Bend, IN, passed away peacefully in the early morning hours of December 28, 2021 at the Country Meadows Retirement Community, Bethlehem, PA, where she lived for more than 8 years. She was 93. Mary was essentially healthy most of her life and managed to avoid serious medical issues.  Her sons called her "Ma," and her grandchildren called her "Grandma."  But to her parents she was always "Mary Jo".

Mary was born in Kansas City, MO on Oct 26, 1928, to Joseph and Mary McKinny and was raised in DeWitt, Missouri, population 124. She graduated nearby Brunswick High School in 1945.  Mary graduated from Elmira College, Elmira, New York in 1949 with a BA in History and English. She also earned a Master of Arts in English History in 1951 from Columbia University, New York City. After graduation, at the age of 20, Mary took a steamer to England where she spent the summer visiting pen pals, bicycling and walking the countryside.  Later that summer, she took her bike to Holland where she also had friends.

While in New York, Mary met Eliot Pyles whom she married in September 1951 and with whom she raised four sons: Bill (Amy), Doug (Lisa), Russ (Marcia) and James (Barb) who survive her.  Mary is also survived by her sister Elizabeth Anne Scheffler, New Haven, CT, 12 grandchildren and four great grandchildren.   Grandson Ryan Pyles preceded her in death (1999) as did her parents Mary (d. 1985) and Joseph (d. 1987)

In addition to New York, Mary lived in Knoxville, TN, Paducah, KY, South Bend IN, Harpenden, England and Dayton, OH.  Mary loved the United Kingdom and returned there many times, often for walking tours, even though she disliked flying (and ships and boats).  Mary worked as a teacher before and after she had children, and she also worked as a legal secretary for many years in South Bend.

Like her father, Mary enjoyed the outdoors and hiking, and she was responsible for organizing family trips to Colorado when her children were young. She continued hiking through her '70's.

Mary was Episcopalian most of her life and was very active, particularly in Cathedral of Saint James in South Bend, where she sang in the choir.

Mary's legacy of hard work, generosity and keen intelligence, combined with a sincere care for others, lives on in the ministry of St. Margaret's House, a day center for women and children who struggle with poverty.  Founded in 1990, St. Margaret's House helps women take concrete steps forward in their lives by helping them meet immediate needs and build new skills in a context of a caring community. As one of the founders of this work, Mary served on the founding advisory committee and Board of Directors.  She, along with Margaret Kenney, wrote the original grants to renovate the building and garnered funds to begin the ministry.  She helped write the by-laws and was instrumental in gaining St. Margaret's House's tax-exempt status and in establishing its endowment fund with the Community Foundation of St. Joseph County. For over 20 years, Mary was a constant, loving and generous presence among all at St. Margaret's House.  She worked as a weekly volunteer and served on the Board of Directors as member, treasurer, president and secretary. She had the wonderful ability and collaborative spirit to serve as president of the Board, counselor to the executive director and volunteer cook, all at the same time.   She helped St. Margaret's House grow from a small outreach ministry to a community agency which serves over 1000 families a year.  She embodied all that everyone hoped St. Margaret's House would be: hospitable, constant, loving and generous.

Mary was also a volunteer with Laubach Literacy International, an educational corporation dedicated to helping adults of all ages improve their lives and their communities by learning reading, writing, math and problem-solving skills.  Additionally, Mary was a member for over 50 years of P.E.O., (Philanthropic Educational Organization), an organization dedicated to helping women seek higher education.

Who was Mary Pyles?  Mary was an intelligent, well-read, quiet, independent woman who, after her children left home, was comfortable living alone, for almost forty years.  She had a wide circle of friends, was a voracious reader, a writer of hundreds of letters and as she said, was "never bored for a moment in my life."  She eschewed television, but enjoyed the South Bend Orchestra and theatre.  Mary kept herself busy with volunteer work, was especially committed to women's rights and issues, was a woman of faith, and was active with the Church.  She seemed to never worry about anything and was one of the most stable and wise people we have ever known. She will be missed for her calm assessment of life, witty sayings, and silly songs sung only with her sister.

A memorial service will be held on February 19 at 10:00 am, at the Cathedral of Saint James, 117 N Lafayette Blvd South Bend, IN, 46601. Should friends desire, contributions may be sent to St. Margaret's House at 117 N Lafayette Blvd South Bend, IN, 46601. www.stmargaretshouse.org