Mary Jane (McDermond) Rodgers
July 04, 1935 - June 23, 2026
Visitation: A celebration of Mary Jane’s life will occur in Pittsburgh, PA this fall.
Mary Jane (McDermond) Rodgers, known to all as a loving, kind, and funny person to everyone who knew her, passed away peacefully on June 23, 2026 at the age of 90 at Mulberry Health in Mulberry, Indiana. We are certain that her late husband, Richard, missed her too much and came to get her.
Mary Jane loved sports of every kind, from football to figure skating. She and Richard were fans of Pittsburgh teams, and she was widely known for her numerous sweaters, home decorations, Christmas tree ornaments, and door wreaths celebrating the four seasons: baseball, football, basketball, and hockey. It was also well-known in the family that if you ever needed a team to make a big play, just wait until she had to get something from the kitchen. Her absence virtually guaranteed a clutch play.
She was a proud graduate of Attica High School in Attica, Indiana and remained friends with the class of 1953 throughout her life. In 1957, she earned a degree in Elementary Education from Indiana University, where she acquired the lifetime habit of remaining confident that the univeristy’s football team would prevail next year. She finally got her wish in 2026 when IU won the NCAA Championship. Turns out she was right, eventually.
She was the daughter of Inez (Davis) McDermond and J. Frank Dermond, Jr. of Attica, Indiana, who told her that her birthday (July 4th) was the reason the whole country shot off fireworks. She only reluctantly let go of this misconception as an adult. Her older brother, John McDermond, let her tag along to his basketball games, as any good Hoosier would do, thus ensuring a deep and abiding love for the sport.
Upon graduating from IU, and much to the horror of her mother, she and two sorority sisters signed a teaching contract with the San Diego Unified School District. The young women then had to figure out how to tell their parents they were moving across the country. The three of them roomed together and insisted they could hear the roar of lions at night at the nearby San Diego Zoo. The move changed her life forever, because it was there that she met a handsome U.S. Navy ensign, Richard. She made sure he would call her back after their first date when she left a glove in his car. She insisted throughout her life that it was an accident, but none of her family believes her.
She and Richard had two children, Nancy Frey, and Jane (Todd) Harper and moved to Pittsburgh, PA, Richard’s hometown. She was a beloved substitute teacher in the North Hills School District and was on speed-dial with elementary teachers who trusted her with their young students. A lifetime of hanging out with children prepared her to be an amazing grandma to Bridget (Devin Parry) Frey, Eric (Elizabeth) Frey, and Matthew (Elena) Harper. Despite the physical distance of living in different cities, she and Richard made their children, grandchildren and beloved spouses, and their five great-grandchildren, Graham Parry, Wilson Parry, Audrey Frey, Andrew Frey, and Remington Harper, as well as numerous nieces and nephews, their top priority. Mary Jane and Richard were popular party guests, as can be verified by anyone who spent time with them at a church picnic, neighborhood softball game, or Halloween party. Their winning costumes included dressing as salt-and-pepper shakers, and as a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. They were made for each other.
A celebration of Mary Jane’s life will occur in Pittsburgh, PA this fall. In lieu of flowers, you might make a donation to your favorite charity, or to the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, to ensure that children from birth to five have free books in their homes: https://imaginationlibrary.com/
