Mary "Midge" Owens

Mary “Midge” Owens peacefully passed away on Thursday, August 18th. She is survived by her beloved daughter Dr. Amy (Owens) Gerade and cherished son-in-law Ben Gerade as well as her amazing grandchildren Jack and Tessa of Billerica, Massachusetts; sisters Patricia Garasic as well as Kathy and Tom Price both of Austintown; and niece Stephanie Price, nephew Tim Price and his wife Tracy all of Columbus. She was preceded in death by her mother and father Frank and Margaret (Repasky) Garasic as well as her nephew Jamie Price.

Born in Youngstown in 1948, she is was 1965 graduate of Poland Seminary High School. After graduation, Mary began her career with Ohio Bell in 1966 as an operator and then in sales, taking a break in the mid 1980’s. She returned to “The Bell” in the early 1990’s in the small business sales office. Mary was a support to both colleagues and customers alike, often winning accolades and recognition for the level of service she provided.

Mary spent a tremendous amount of time working for the betterment of the Canfield Local School District. Whether it was through being the President of the Canfield PTO, serving as a library aide at Hilltop Elementary School, serving meals at the annual Canfield Band Spaghetti Dinner, overseeing the annual Poinsettia Sale or Academic Awards Banquet, as well as attending a variety of CHS athletic events, Mary ensured that the academic, performance, and athletic pursuits of Canfield students were recognized and celebrated. She also spent countless hours at McCune Park making sure all of the baseball and softball players had tasty treats in the concession stands. She loved serving the kids at McCune and making sure everything ran according to plan, especially during tournament time.

Her volunteer spirit did not fade after Amy graduated from Canfield High School. One could find her actively involved in the Pilot Club of Akron where she served as President as well as in various capacities in her church. Years later she played a leading role as a member of the Residence Council at Park Vista Assisted Living as well as Resident Council President at Windsor House Nursing Home.

In her spare time, Mary was a voracious reader and an avid sports fan. One could find her reading a book with the game of the week on ESPN playing in the background. She also enjoyed playing the card game Spite and Malice with her sisters.

The family would like to thank the staff at Windsor House Canfield both past and present for taking exceptional care of Mary including but not limited to: Caleb, Allison, Megan, Cori, Brandi, Brittany, Denise, Emily, Ty, Tina, Cindy, Mercedes, Lisa, Darcy and Sam. She knew she was loved by the staff and in turn loved all of you. They would also like to thank Dr. Demidovich as well as April, Kayla, Sam, and Tim at Sanctuary Hospice who made her last days comfortable. Finally, they would like to thank Lynette Fumi for everything she has done for them and Aunt Mary.

Calling hours will be held at Lane Funeral Home in Canfield on Friday, August 26th from 5 to 7:30 pm. A funeral mass will be conducted at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Youngtown, OH at 10 am, Saturday, August 27th.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be sent in Mary’s name to the Moser Center for Leukodystrophies at Kennedy Krieger where leading edge techniques in neuroimaging, genomics, biomedical engineering, and nanotechnology help experts enhance understanding, diagnosis, and treatment.