Marion McCormack, 85, a life-long resident of Mineola, passed away in Winthrop Hospital after a long illness. She was 85 years young. By her side were her sister-in-law Teddy McCormack, her niece Mary Caolgero, her nephews, Bill McCormack, Chas. McCormack and Hank Jones, and her aide and close friend Tillie McPartland.

Marion McCormack was born at 320 Willis Ave. on June 17, 1917. She was the daughter of Mineola Police Chief William McCormack and his wife Delia. She had four brothers, all of whom predeceased her: William McCormack, Rev. Francis Patrick McCormack, NC Police Sgt. Charles McCormack and Rev. Henry J. McCormack.

Marion was a graduate of Corpus Christi Grammar School and Mineola High School. She worked at Doubleday and Co. for nearly 50 years where she was a supervisor in the accounting department. Her real passion, however was her church and community. A lifelong member of Corpus Christi Parish, she was active in parish affairs and was a parish trustee at the time of her death. She was a member of Corpus Christi's Court Immaculata of the Catholic Daughters of America for over 40 years and went on to become the organization's NYS treasurer and state regent.

After a wake at Cassidy Funeral Home, a Mass of the Resurrection was celebrated at Corpus Christi Church on Jan. 6. The pastor, Rev. James Bowman was the principal celebrant, joined by Rev. Tomaz Gomide and Rev. Thomas O'Brien. The homily was delivered by longtime family friend, Deacon John Reinhart. Below are excerpts of the eulogy that was delivered by Marion's nephew, Charles McCormack.

"My Aunt Marion was one of the most joyous persons I have ever known. Oh, not that she went around singing with a sweet smile on her face all the time. We all know she wasn't like that. She had a pretty tough exterior until you got to know her. But underneath the tough exterior was a soft heart and the happiest person you'd ever want to meet.

Why was she so happy? She was happy because she chose to focus on all the good things she had rather than on the things she didn't have. And while she acknowledged the life's disappointments and losses, she refused to dwell on them. There's an old saying that goes, when God closes a door, He opens a window. My Aunt Sis always found the open window.

Though she never married, she was never an old maid. Rather, she was - as she put it - an "unclaimed treasure" and she was by no means childless. She made me, my brother Bill, my sister Mary, my cousins Marion, Hank, Mary Ann, Billy, Robert and Patrick her children. At least once a week, she would - through us - experience all the joys and - thanks to my cousin Hank and I - the hassles of parenthood. Like a second mother, she gave us the love, affection and "a good crack" when we needed it.

Aunt Sis was extremely devoted to her mother. When Delia McCormack died at the age of 92, we were all worried what would happen to her now that nana was gone. That summer Marion took her first trip to Europe. She would return to Europe many times, especially, her beloved Ireland where her mother had been born. She loved traveling and remained a world traveler nearly to the end.

When a stroke finally forced her to retire from Doubleday's where she had worked as a supervisor for nearly 50 years, people worried. "What will she do now?" She didn't see it as a loss, however, but rather an opportunity to devote more time to what she considered a much more important job, serving the church through the good works of the organization that she loved so much, the Catholic Daughters of America. A longtime member of Corpus Christi's Court Immaculata, she went on to serve the organization throughout NYS, first as the state treasurer and later as the state regent. Her brother, Father Harry McCormack, began introducing himself at formal functions as "Marion's brother."

When Father Harry, her last brother passed away, she went out and adopted a new brother who was also a priest, Msgr. Lawrence Costello, former pastor of Corpus Christi. Like a good brother, Msgr. Costello took very good care of her until he got sick, and then she, always the good sister, took care of him.

And so it went on. When one task ended, Marion would find another task. When she lost a loved one, she would cry like a baby, and then go out and find someone else to love. And that's why she was never lonely. That's why she always had family. The people of Mineola were her family. Corpus Christi was her family. The Catholic Daughters was her family. And by serving that family she lived up to the theme of the 1992 State Convention of the Catholic Daughters and 'Served the Lord with Gladness ... ' and a joy that was contagious to all who knew her."