Mary Kay Schmeing

Mary Kathryn (Dodd) Schmeing passed away December 9th, with her beloved husband of 57 years by her side. She was born in Louisville, Kentucky on September 15, 1939, the first child of William and Anita Dodd. After her father’s death when she was a young adult, Mary Kay devoted her energy and resources to supporting her mother and younger siblings, and remained dedicated to their well-being throughout her life.

Mary Kay also devoted her long and successful career to helping others. Early in her career, she taught and served as a counselor at Seton High School. She served as a social worker for the State of Kentucky and, for many years, for Catholic Charities of Southwestern Ohio. Later, she became affiliated with the YWCA of Hamilton, Ohio, first leading the shelter for battered and abused women, then becoming executive director of the agency. She left the Y to become executive director of the Children’s Diagnostic Center of Hamilton, which provides psychological counseling services to children and adolescents. 

Mary Kay held a bachelor’s degree in English from Thomas More University and a master’s in Education, with a specialization in Counseling, from Xavier University. She was honored to teach for a number of years as an adjunct professor of English at Thomas More. 

She was blessed with an intellect and curiosity that drove a passion for travel and adventure. She and her husband traveled the length and breadth of the six inhabited continents. Her husband often joked that there was no place on earth that wasn’t on her bucket list.

Later in life, she devoted her energies to philanthropy. She volunteered for Dress for Success, a non-profit that helps women achieve economic independence. She also served on the Findlay Market Friends’ Board, which made important contributions to the market’s revitalization. She supported many other organizations; Magnified Giving, Brighton Center, and Animal Friends Humane Society were particularly close to her heart. 

Mary Kay is survived by her husband Richard, her sister Jeanne Dodd (Streadwick), her brothers-in-law Tony and Paul Schmeing, sisters-in-law Debbie Schmeing, Norma Enderle and Lois Houp, and beloved nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents, her sisters Anita Connelly and Liz Dodd, her brother Bill Dodd, brothers-in-law Joe Connelly and Bob Streadwick, and three beloved rescue dogs, Duffy, Gilley, and Dolly.

A Visitation will be held on Saturday, December 18, 2021 at St. Agnes Church from 10:00 AM until Mass of Christian Burial begins at 11:00 AM.  A gathering will be held at the Adelaide Center at Madonna Manor immediately after.  If you are interested in making a memorial donation, the family asks that you consider one of the organizations mentioned above.