Mary Elizabeth (Kameen) McElhinney

Mary Elizabeth Kameen McElhinney, 86, a guest at the Forest City Personal Care Home and Nursing Home, passed away, Friday, December 23, 2022, after an extended illness. She resided at 205 5th Street, Vandling until taking up residence at the Personal Care Home in July 2021. Her husband, Peter J. McElhinney, died in 2004.

She was born February 16, 1936, a daughter of the late Joseph C. and Veronica O'Neill Kameen. She is a 1953 graduate of Forest City High School and attended Misericordia College and received her bachelor of arts degree from San Diego State University. She also received an MBA from Wingate University. She was a retired elementary school teacher who taught at both private and public schools. While living in Villa Park, Illinois, she taught at St. Alexander School and for 15 years at Plainfield Schools where she taught first to fifth grades and also gifted summer school computer classes. She also taught at All Saints School and Cedar Spring Hospital, Charlotte, NC. She published a number of articles on co-operative writing for educational journals and also articles on Publishing with Computers in the early days of computer usage in schools.

She and her husband, Jim, lived at Calexico, CA; Joliet, Illinois; Charlotte NC; and at Elk Trails in Union Dale. They traveled extensively in Europe, including Italy, Ireland and Germany . She also visited Kameen relatives in Slovenia and McElhinney relatives in Ireland, and maintained contact with all of them over the years. She visited 32 countries during her travels with her husband.

After retiring from teaching, she was owner of a home-based computer software business, and also ran a bed and breakfast in Charlotte, NC. She was also elected to the executive committee of the Lifelong Learning Institute, Midlothian, VA, where she served as secretary, and served as a docent at Charlotte area museums.

She moved to Vandling in 2009 and taught computer classes to senior citizens at the Forest City Library and was leader of the Library's Book Club. She also aided with the Library Children's Reading Program. She was active in the Forest City Area Historical Society and was a major benefactor funding the operations of the Society as well as the restoration of one of the museum's stained glass windows. She was the first Facebook administrator of the Society. She was a member of Ascension Parish, Forest City.

She is survived by a brother, John P. Kameen, former Publisher of The Forest City News; a sister-in-law, Carole Kameen, who was her caregiver; niece, Patricia Striefsky, Forest City; and nephews Brandon Striefsky, Philadelphia, and Zachary Striefsky, Maysville, Kentucky; as well as many nieces, nephews and cousins around the world. A sister, Joann Kameen Calpin, Midlothian, Virginia, passed away in February 2022.

The family thanks the wonderful caregivers at Forest City Personal Care Home for caring for her like she were family, and also to the nurses and aides at the Forest City Nursing Center, and Allied Services Palliative and Hospice Care.

Funeral services will be private at a later date. 

Arrangements are entrusted to the Kevin M. Lesjack Funeral Home, Forest City.

 Remembrances can be made to Forest City Area Historical Society, 636 Main St., Forest City PA 18421.

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