Mary Conway

We are very sad to announce that Mary Conway, 96, of Laguna Woods, CA, passed away on January 1, 2024 at Providence Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo, CA.

Born on May 22, 1927 to Howard and Edna (Pratt) Schofield, Mary grew up in Woodbury, NJ before moving to Pompton Lakes, NJ with her family. She was graduated from the Dwight School for Girls in 1945 and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in geography from Barnard College of Columbia University in 1949. She married John S. “Jack” Conway in 1955 and they were married for 40 years until his death in 1995. Mary went on to earn a master’s degree in Library Service from Rutgers in 1972 and worked as the first librarian at Pequannock Valley Middle School in Pompton Plains, NJ. A career highlight was receiving the first Intellectual Freedom Award from the New Jersey Media Association and SIRS (Social Issues Resources Series), after successfully defending against a case to remove a book from her library.

A longtime resident of Cedar Grove, NJ, Mary moved to Laguna Woods in 2004 to be closer to her family. Mary enjoyed music, the arts, travel, and always continued learning. She volunteered as a docent at the Newark Museum of Art in New Jersey and at the Bowers museum after settling in California. She thought of creative ways to engage with her tour groups and for one exhibit even delivered some of her tour with rap. Mary continued docenting at the Bowers museum for 18 years before stepping down in 2022 at the age of 95, and set the age record for a Bowers docent.

She was in charge of Membership for the Lovers of Music Club and was active in the College Club. Mary was also a world traveler and visited over 20 countries spanning five continents throughout her life. Mary enrolled in emeritus classes at Saddleback Community College, taking three to four classes every semester in topics such as art history, film, current events, and exercise.

Mary is survived by her son Bruce (Zeynep), her granddaughter Lauren, and her grandson Kevin. She is predeceased by her parents, Howard and Edna, her husband Jack, and her son Scott. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Mary’s honor to the Bowers Museum, the Newark Museum of Art, and the American Cancer Society.