Murray Penn, of Great Neck, passed away on Sept. 20. 2007. He was an upstanding member of the Great Neck community and was always there for you. He is survived by his wife, Sheila, and two sons, Steven and David.

Mary Hixon Delano Langton, age 87, of St. Augustine, FL, died on Sept. 2, 2007 in St. Augustine. She was born June 27, 1920 in Manhattan and lived in Great Neck from 1929 to 1979. She graduated from Great Neck High School (now Great Neck North) in 1940. Burial was in the St. Augustine National Cemetery beside her husband.

During WWII, Mary wanted to join the WACS (Women's Army Corps) but was turned away as too small. Instead, she went to work as a reservation clerk in Penn Station. She worked there for 30 years, first with the Pennsylvania Railroad, then Penn Central and finally ConRail. She met her husband of 51 years, William Langton, a WWII vet, at the railroad. After the night shift, they loved to dance to Benny Goodman and Glenn Miller at all their favorite New York City "stomping grounds."

Mary also trained at IBM keypunch school. She loved children and ran a small day-care in her home after she retired from the railroad. She and Bill moved in 1987 to her beloved Gulf Coast of Florida. In 1998, they relocated to St. Augustine to be near their only grandchild. Her husband died in 2002.

Mary loved swimming, being near the beach, and gardens. She enjoyed travel and she and her husband rode the train all over the country. She also liked to trace her family roots and was a member of the Society of Mayflower Descendants. She belonged to the 27th Division Auxiliary and attended many Army reunions with her husband. In New York, she was a member of the First Church of Christ, Scientist for over 30 years. She was also a supporter in activities at St. Aloysius Catholic Church and St. Aloysius Catholic School, which her daughter graduated from in 1969.

As a young woman Mary was a ballet dancer and a horseback rider, until she broke her back in a car accident at 16. She was known for her positive outlook and sense of humor; her care for others; dedication to her family; and her resilience, dignity, and courage in the face of obstacles. Mary was a spiritual person who believed in the good of people. She taught her family to appreciate nature and "the dew of little things." Over 100 people attended her memorial service, which included a garden walk at the Coastal Community Center Memorial Garden.

She is survived by her daughter, Dawn Langton, son-in-law, Dale DiLeo and granddaughter, Letty Langton DiLeo, all of St. Augustine; and a sister, Octavia Delano Morse, nephew Peter Delano Morse, and niece Sharon Tucker Morse, all of North Carolina.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in her name are welcomed to Community Hospice of Northeast Florida, 4266 Sunbeam Rd., Jacksonville, FL 32257 or Bayview Nature Walk Fund, 161-B Marine St., St. Augustine, FL 32084. Kotrady-Hudgins-Croyle is in charge of arrangements.