“So, how are the girls?” Mary asked after her treasured charges. Stella and Pie were the subjects of Mary’s inquiry and in their own way may wonder whatever happened to the nice lady who sometimes combed them, cooed to them and cared for them, but the human residents who share their home will cherish her memory and mourn her passing.

Mary Schoonmaker, a well-known and much-loved figure in the Printers Row and Dearborn Park community, especially to ubiquitous pet owners, passed away suddenly on Tuesday, March 22.

For years, Mary could be seen strolling along Plymouth Court and Dearborn Park, accompanied by all manner of furry companions, cordially greeting and swapping local lore and breaking news with other dog walkers and pedestrians, and if the weather was good, holding court on the park bench on 9th street.

A few years ago, she hung up her leash and bio bags and devoted her attention exclusively to feline clientele who did not need to, and indeed did not deign to venture out and about, but she still made a point of staying connected and keeping up with neighborhood goings-on.

Each summer, Mary organized the annual Dearborn Park garage sale, giving neighbors an opportunity to purge unwanted clothing, housewares and bric-a-brac, earn a few extra bucks, and donate unsold items to local charities, making room for the new acquisitions that inevitably occur in the succeeding months. She always had a table herself with pet-themed items and the like, and the event provided a unique way to socialize and coalesce residents that may not otherwise ever cross paths.

Mary touched many lives and her extraordinary energy, extreme kindness, and exceptional wit were valued and will be missed by all who knew her: human, canine and feline alike.