Mary S. Olney
Mary Scully Olney, a 12-year resident of Portland, Ore., died peacefully June 24, 2016, at her home at Holladay Park Plaza. She was born June 22, 1920, in Winchester, Va. She first met her beloved husband James Burt Olney at the University of Virginia and they were married in 1946 after her husband’s service in the U.S. Navy during World War II.
In the early years of their marriage, while the family grew, she lived on both sides of the United States: transferring from Avon, N.Y., to Albion, N.Y., to Fulton, N.Y., to Walla Walla, Wash., and then to Wilton, Conn., for an extended period. Mary and Jim retired to Savannah, Ga., and finally, after the death of her husband, Mary moved to Portland to be closer to her children and grandchildren.
Mary was a wonderful wife, mother, mother-in-law and grandmother. She loved her birthplace in Virginia, her extended Scully clan, and her alma mater, Sweet Briar College. She also loved playing in and organizing contract bridge tournaments and was a Grand Life Master of the ACBL.
She was a faithful Presbyterian and, finding no church in Connecticut, helped to found the Wilton Presbyterian Church in the early 1960s. Mary and her husband Jim were also active members of the Skidaway Island Presbyterian Church.
She was a prolific volunteer, donating countless hours to a variety of organizations wherever she lived, ranging from groups promoting reading, such as SMART in Portland, to others fostering international understanding, such as the American Field Service and the Girl Scouts.
She is survived by her sons James Burt Olney, Jr. (Leslie) of Seattle, Wash.; Andrew Gillespie Olney (Narayana) of Port Townsend, Wash.; David Nicholson Olney (Aileen) of Moss Beach, Calif.; her daughters Cady Olney Shoutis (Arthur) of Lander, Wyo.; and Margaret Scully Olney (Steve) of Portland, Ore.; and her grandchildren James Olney, Josephine Olney, Elizabeth Olney, Daniel Shoutis (Deborah), Nathaniel Shoutis, Samuel Shoutis, Alexandra Cain Olney (Brandon), Bryan Cain Olney (Bahare), and William Marsh.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to SMART (Start Making A Reader Today (http://www.getsmartoregon.org) of Portland, Ore.
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