IN MEMORY OF MARY ENGEN, From: Office of the Registrar
It is with the deepest regret that we note the passing of Mary Engen. Mary succumbed to cancer on Monday, February 20, 1995. At the time of her passing, Mary was the Associate Registrar for Scheduling. Mary was born January 29, 1931, in Oelwein, Iowa. She began working at UNI on September 1, 1967. Mary began as a clerk in the Scheduling Office and rose to become the head of the Scheduling Office in 1979. Mary is survived by her daughter, Beth Wilson, and granddaughters, Stacy and Angie Wilson, all of Cedar Falls. Mary is also survived by three brothers, Father Patrick Geary of Waterloo, Jack Geary and his wife Florence of Cedar Falls, and Thomas Geary of Fayette. A Scripture service will be held at 7:00 p.m. on Friday evening, February 24th, at St. Patrick's Church in Cedar Falls. Family will be there after 4:00 p.m. Funeral Mass will be held on Saturday, February 25th, at 11 :00 a.m. at St. Patrick's Church in Cedar Falls. Memorial gifts should be directed to St. Vincent dePaul and Cedar Valley Hospice.
Mary was active in her profession and in her community. She served on the Traffic Appeals Committee for many years. She was President of the Iowa Association of Educational Secretaries in 1975. In 1987 Mary was a participant in a United States Department of Education Grant on Women's Equality. Mary was a tireless volunteer in community service programs. A list of the organizations to which she unselfishly gave her time and talent includes: Habitat for Humanity, St. Vincent de Paul, Operation Threshold, and Cedar Valley Hospice. She was an active member of St. Patrick's Parish. Mary was a dedicated professional and colleague.
Associate Registrar-Emeritus Lew Glenn once described Mary saying, "Probably her best strength is her ability to work with people. She is kind, patient, and understanding". Registrar-Emeritus Robert Leahy once described Mary this way. "She is patient with students and my observation of her at work has been that even with students who would try the patience of Job, she is able to handle them in such a way that they leave feeling good about her and the office." Mary was a person of great character, courage, and strength. Her life was an example of personal perseverance and compassion for others. She was a colleague and a friend, a leader, and a missionary. Those of us who knew Mary have had our lives enriched and called to action for the sake of others. We mourn her passing, but honor her being, for we will not know her like again.