Lewisburg - Mary O'Neil Dunkerly passed away on May 29, 2026, at the age of 85. She and her twin sister, Kathy, were born May 28, 1941, in Harrisburg, Pa. She grew up in Regent Square and Swissvale, in the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. She has a younger sister, Peggy, who lives in Lewisburg. Her younger brother resided in Washington, Pa. Her identical twin, Kathy, passed away in 2025, Thomas in April 2026. Religion is important to her family: Thomas was a Catholic priest and Kathy was a Catholic sister.

Mary attended Marywood College in Scranton and took graduate courses in education at the University of Pittsburgh and Duquesne University. She taught in public schools in the Philadelphia and Pittsburgh areas, then accepted a position with the U.S. Army school system in Germany. It was there that she met her future husband, Robert E. Dunkerly, a Pennsylvania native who was stationed on the base at Bad Kreuznach. They were married in 1971 in Pittsburgh at St. Anslem Church and have one son, Bert, who resides in Richmond, Va. While in Europe, Mary's sense of adventure led her to travel extensively, visiting France, England, Austria, Belgium, Italy, Greece, Turkey and other countries.

After Mary and Bob returned to the U.S., they settled in Lewisburg. She taught in the Milton school district (mostly at Montandon Elementary) and he worked as Registrar at Bucknell University. She mostly taught 1st-3rd grades, and sought every opportunity to take her students on field trips and bring music and arts into the classroom. Mary retired in 2001 after over 30 years in teaching, receiving great praise for her dedication and ability to engage with students. She and Bob traveled and enjoyed retirement together until he passed away in 2013.

For several years, she volunteered with the Susquehanna Valley Visitors' Bureau, welcoming travelers to the region, the Union County Public Library and the Catholic Campus Ministry at Bucknell University. Already ready of a party, she enjoyed attending events such as concerts at Bucknell and local festivals in Lewisburg and Mifflinburg. Mary also loved walking her neighborhood and visiting the gardens at Bucknell to see how the flowers were doing. She also enjoyed local (and not so local) wineries, and walking at places like Halfway Dam.

Mary had a natural gift for music, playing guitar, piano and autoharp. She could play music by ear. She also founded the choir at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Lewisburg. Her house was always surrounded within and without with flowers and her favorite color was purple. She was proud of her Irish heritage, and has visited Ireland several times. She loved cats and her companion, Peppa, was very important to her. She will be forever remembered for her sense of adventure, fun spirit and outgoing personality.

Friends and relatives were received Monday, June 1, 2026, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the John H. Shaw III Funeral Home, 801 Market St., Lewisburg.

A mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Tuesday morning at 11 at Sacred Heart Church, Lewisburg, with Rev. Fred Wangwe as Celebrant. Burial will follow in the Lewisburg Cemetery.