Remembering Book Lover Mary Allen McAden

Family, friends, parents, librarians, teachers, students and book lovers gathered at the Scarsdale Library on Friday July 31 to remember an avid reader who shared her passion for books with so many in the Scarsdale community.

Librarian Mary Allen McAden passed away on July 22 at the age of 78. McAden was the Fox Meadow School librarian for twenty years and according to one colleague she knew the name of every child in the school. Enthusiastic and animated she was a master at reading aloud to children and was able to recommend the perfect book for any reader. She retired from Fox Meadow in 2004 and then took a part time job at the Scarsdale Library and also led innumerable book groups for adults and children in Scarsdale.

Her children Abigail and Graham led a touching ceremony where they recounted her life story and shared their own memories of their mother and stories they gathered from others who knew her well. McAden grew up on a horse farm in Ohio and graduated high school as the valedictorian of her class. She graduated from Miami University in Ohio, taught high school in Ohio and moved to New York in 1963 where she attended Columbia Teacher's College. She taught at Mt. Vernon High School and then spent ten years at home raising her children, but ultimately returned to Queens College to get a master's degree in library science. From there it was onto 20 years as the Fox Meadow School librarian where she became a favorite of many in the community.

Friends called her "loyal, frumpy, smart as a whip, mischievous, tough as nails and wimpy too." Often repeated sayings included, "it's all good," "on her behalf", "for the greater good" and "a piece of work." In addition to books, McAden loved jigsaw puzzles, babies and her garden. Her friend and colleague Cheryl Higgins shared reading dates and lengthy phone calls, which McAden would open by saying, "I am calling today to take your emotional temperature." According to Higgins, their conversations always "got back to laughter."

Her son Graham said that his mother would "talk to anyone, anywhere. She had a unique ability to connect with people." He continued, "She loved books, and the stories of peoples' journeys, though her journey ended prematurely. She would have thanked you for sharing your journeys with her." He said that McAden moved to The Osborne in Rye for her last year where "she made many friends, welcomed newcomers and helped to ease people in." She told friends that "she was living it up at the Osborne."

Abigail, who is now an editor, said her mother "Worshipped the library and books and read to us and did all the voices." She remembered hours passed at the Larchmont Library and said that her mother always had a bag of books and "nothing was off limits." Though her mother did not take to technology, the one exception was her Kindle which she took everywhere and stuffed with reviews and note cards. On her last trip to California, McAden asked Abigail to bring a copy of "The Wizard of Oz" which she wanted to start to read to her grandchildren.

Abigail ended by asking everyone to leave a note card with the name of a book that McAden had introduced to them. A list will be compiled and shared.

The memorial was an inspiration and a reminder to read, share stories, laugh and, according to Mary McAden's mother, "Evaluate your choices and take that shot that looks most promising to you."