Hibernian of the Year ☘:
Mary Anne McIlwee
Mary Anne was born in Altoona, PA. She is the 4thof five children born to Margaret and Francis Skelly. Her family moved to Erie, PA and Mary Anne attended Mercyhurst Prep School. She is a proud Alumnus of Mercyhurst University.
After college, Mary Anne moved to Cleveland and joined St. Ignatius of Antioch parish. She began teaching in the CCD program at the parish and met her husband Jim McIlwee. Jim and Mary Anne married in 1960 and have five children: Patrick, Theresa, Maureen, Eileen, and Katie. Mary Anne is the proud Nana of ten and GG of three.
Mary Anne spent her career working as a Medical Technologist in various hospitals throughout Northeast Ohio and retired from the Microbiology Department of Kaiser Permanente in 2003. She became active in the Cleveland Irish Community when her children began taking Irish Dance lessons with Betty Scott-Kish. She has been a longtime member of the West Side Irish American Club and has enjoyed volunteering for various activities in the Irish community and enjoys knitting, quilting, and sewing. She is well known for making and hand embroidering Irish dance dresses.
Mary Anne and Jim have been faithful members of St. Mark parish for nearly 50 years, where she has been involved in many activities through the parish and the school while all five of her children attended. Her Catholic faith is very important to her and she tried to live her life in a manner that exemplifies that.
As a member of the Our Lady of the Rosary Division of the Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians she is proud to celebrate her heritage through the history and the strong friendships made with her Hibernian Sisters. Mary Anne is honored, proud, and grateful to be selected as the Hibernian of the Year by her Brother and Sister Hibernians!
