Mary Catherine O'Toole

  Mary Catherine Schierberl O’Toole, a well-known resident of Tionesta for nearly 70 years, died Friday, September 2.  She was 90 years of age.

   Born July 6, 1926, in Clarion, she was the daughter of the late Alfred A. and Mary Catherine Murphy Schierberl. 

   Mary was a 1944 graduate of Clarion High School and a 1948 graduate of Clarion State Teachers College where she followed in the footsteps of her mother, who graduated in 1909 from what was then Clarion State Normal School. 

   Upon graduating from college, she accepted her first teaching position in the Fall, 1948, at what was then Tionesta High School in Tionesta.  She was employed as an English and history teacher for twenty-eight years, retiring from West Forest High School in 1988. 

   She was married on August 19, 1950, to Michael J. O’Toole, Sr., who preceded her in death on October 3, 2008.  At the time of his passing, the couple had been married 58 years.

   She is survived by her nine children: Mary C. “Cathi” Polak and her husband, Ron, of Meadville; Maureen A. O’Toole of Madison, Ohio; Michael J. O’Toole, Jr. and his wife, Jane, of Richmond, Virginia; Martin J. O’Toole of Phoenix, Arizona; Patrick T. O’Toole and his wife, Tracey, of Cranberry Twp; Shaun E. O’Toole of Harrisburg; Dennis W. O’Toole and his wife, Darlene, of Tionesta; Erin M. Brannon and her husband, Ken, of Oil City; and Brian K. O’Toole and his wife, Nancy, of Oil City.

   She is also survived by 15 grandchildren:  Katie and Kerri Polak; Lauren Faulkner Graves and her husband, Jeff; Joel Faulkner; Joey, Matt, and James O’Toole; Patrick K. O’Toole; Maggie Barbush; Hilary Beichner Busch and her husband, Patrick; Shane Beichner, Lexi and Nick O’Toole; Mallory and Nolan Brannon.  Recently, she welcomed two great-grandchildren, Rowan Ruth Busch and Thomas Jeffrey Graves.

   She was the last surviving member of her immediate family which included five brothers and four sisters.  Her five brothers all served in World War II with brother, Lt. Robert E. Schierberl, having been killed in action.  Her other four brothers were Joseph F. Schierberl, Alfred A. Schierberl, Jr., and J. Philip Schierberl, all of Clarion, while her late brother, William L. Schierberl, resided in New York, New York.  Her four sisters were Sister Mary Alice Schierberl, O.S.B., of Erie; Carolyn Wolf of Clarion; Margaret Pomeroy of New York, New York; and Luella McLaughlin of Chicago, Illinois.

   Mary was a member of the Board of Trustees at Clarion State College for twelve years, 1972 to 1984. And, in 1989, she received the Clarion University Distinguished Service Award.

   She and her husband were founding members of Saint Anthony’s Roman Catholic Church in Tionesta where she was an active member notably with the Saint Anthony’s Ladies Guild and the church choir.

   During her retirement years, Mary was an active volunteer at the Sarah Stewart Bovard Memorial Library and the Forest County Visitors Center.  She could also be seen on daily walks in town with her friends.

   Alzheimer’s disease challenged her in the later years of her life.  However, her caretaker, daughter-in-law Darlene O’Toole, her family, and her many friends provided comfort and support, improving the quality of her final years.  And, in the final months, two special ladies, Lori Wolbert and Nancy Gassner, were at her side with assistance and care.

   Friends will be received Monday, 1-3 and 5-8 PM at the Norman J. Wimer Funeral Home of Tionesta.  Mass of the Christian burial will be celebrated on Tuesday, September 6, 2016 at 11 am  at St. Anthony’s R.C. Church 112 Bridge Street, Tionesta with Father Joseph Kalinowski celebrating the Mass.  Interment at Riverside Cemetery alongside her husband in Tionesta. 

   In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Crawford County, 310 North Monroe Street, Titusville, PA, 16354, or the Mary Catherine Murphy Schierberl Scholarship, Clarion University Foundation, Clarion University, 840 Wood Street, Clarion, PA, 16214.   

 Service Information