Mary Deger

Mary Deger passed away on the Fourth of July, 2020, just 3 months shy of her 100th birthday. She was married to her sweetheart, Charlie, for 64 loving years. Mary will be remembered for being the life of any party she attended.  She enjoyed being out with her friends – whether it was on the golf course, or the dance floor. Mary cherished time spent with her family. Particularly memorable moments with her grandchildren include hiding Christmas elves for Anne to find, “stealing” a bite of Amy’s dessert, or caddying for Kevin during one of his junior golf tourneys. Mary played a mean harmonica and would regale her family and friends at annual Kentucky Derby parties with her rendition of “My Old Kentucky Home”. She also saluted Summer mornings on annual family vacations at Bethany Beach with The Star-Spangled Banner. Mary and Charlie were founding members of Edgewood Country Club and enjoyed playing golf together every Sunday afternoon with their circle of golfing buddies. Mary was proud of her 2 holes-in-one that she made at ECC. As a lover of nature, she had a special knack for communing with the birds and taking time to “smell the flowers”. She was an accomplished water colorist, and an avid fan of exploring art museums on her travels throughout the world. She was a long-time volunteer at The Carnegie Museum of Art. Other joys in her life included being an avid reader and recommender of books, as well as being an accomplished volleyball player, in her day. Her appreciation for fitness certainly contributed to her vital and well-lived life. That, and a glass of chardonnay every day for 5:00 Happy Hour!

Mary is preceded in death by her husband, Charlie, and her son, Tom.  

She is survived by her daughter Kathy Byrnes (Jim) of Kansas City, daughter Laura Deger of Pittsburgh, and daughter-in-law, Kate Deger, of Pittsburgh; three grandchildren, Anne Matthews (Whit), Amy Ball (Kelly), and Kevin Deger (Lauren); and eight great-grandchildren.

Funeral arrangements are private.

In Mary’s honor, donations can be made to Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens and The Carnegie Museum of Art. Arrangements by Wolfe Memorial, LLC. www.wolfepgh.com

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