Mary Clay

Mary Clay (nee Molnar), 106, of Lorain, passed away peacefully on Sunday, February 2, 2025 at Kingston Residence of Vermilion after a lengthy illness.

Born on September 29, 1918, in Vesta No. 6, PA, Mary lived in Cortland for 50 years before moving to Lorain.

Hagiography.  Do you know what that means?  It is something written about someone praised as a saint.  No criticisms. No negative comments. No flaws.  If you would like to publish a book on saints, then all you need to do is read obituaries, tweak them a little, and put them in a book.  This woman whose photo you see was an imperfect daughter, sister, aunt, cousin, wife, mother, grandma, and great-grandma.  She would not qualify for sainthood, but she came closer to that elite status than most.  While she wasn't a saint, she was a hero to many-tiny, yet fiercely loyal, loving, and witty.  She had no known enemies.  She was just "out there" doing the best that she could.

As a child, she rubbed her father's back when he would come home after a long, hard day in the coal mines.  As she grew up, she walked (for real) a long distance to school and was the first person in her family to graduate from high school.  She married a sailor who served six years in the U.S. Navy, including combat service in WWII.  She worked during the war at a number of jobs while he was serving in the bowels of the USS San Diego (CL-53).  She was vetted by the FBI while working on some experimental airplanes for Bell Aircraft in Buffalo, NY, and at the IX Center in Cleveland, OH.  She had to gain security clearance while serving as an original "Rosie the Riveter." A woman of sleight stature, she was not big enough to handle a rivet gun for hours a day, so she did what she could do to be sure that her colleagues always had enough "liquid rivets" to do the job.  She enjoyed golfing, fishing, and vacationing in Florida.  She raised two imperfect children, both graduates of Kent State University-one retired from a life as a machinist, the other retired from a teaching career after thirty-three years in the classroom.  They made some mistakes in life, but they learned to always love and respect their parents.  When finally they reached adulthood with children of their own, she was exceedingly proud to don the title of "Grandma".  And she was always proudly called "Mom" by her two boys.  She lived 106 years, despite many difficult times.  There is no doubt that she made this world a better place by her being a part of it.  Her life was an incredible journey, lasting 38,843 days.  And what a journey it was!

Mary is survived by her sons, Ronald (Tonda) Clay of Lorain, OH and Larry (Sue) Clay of Cortland, OH; her sister, Claudine "Connie" (Lee)  Daugherty of Erie, PA; her brothers, Donald Molnar of Erie, PA and Robert Molnar of DuBois, PA; her grandchildren, Larry, Lori, Brandon, and Corey Clay; and her great-grandchildren, Jordan, Seth, and Benjamin, Charlie, Freddie, Perry, and Eleanor Clay.

She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Harling Dines Clay, in 1987; her parents, John and Helen (nee Gabor) Molnar; her grandson, James Clay; great-grandson, Lucas Clay; her sisters, Margaret Duffalo, Ann Dalrymple, and Elizabeth Samanka and Madeline Frantz; and her brother, John Molnar.

Private interment will take place at Dugan Cemetery, Fowler, OH.  A celebration of this extraordinary woman's life will be held at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, Mom's request is that donations be made to New Life Hospice, 3500 Kolbe Road, Lorain, OH 44053.

Online condolences may be made at www.riddlefuneralhome.com.