Mary H. Daugharty

Mary H. Daugharty caught the train with her ancestors Friday Night April 8th at her home in Cheney Wash. Mary Daugharty's handshake tells you all about her. The over the top firm handshake comes from a 5'1" schoolteacher who grew up on a dairy farm in Clark Fork, ID. She bravely waited until she knew it was time to go.

 Mary was born in Butte, Mont. on May 18, 1937 to Clint and Irene (Monahan) Henderson. As a child her family moved to Clark Fork, Idaho to dairy farm for the next 28 years. She met her husband David of nearly 70 years there, and they became a dynamic team as they traveled to far off places around the world. Their boys marveled at Mary's ability to float a dry fly into a back eddy for trout, or shoot, dress, and quarter a large game animal. She studied the natural environment and could name most flora and fauna in the Pacific Northwest.

They settled in Deary, Idaho as Dave started his teaching profession and Mary became a mother extraordinaire to Tim and Scott. They made exceptional friends in Deary and never forgot their roots to this special community.

A transitional year in southern Idaho led to the wonderful community of Cheney, Wash. for the last 57 years. Mary received her teaching degree at Eastern Washington State College in 1968. Her career and colleagues at Betz, Windsor, and Reid laboratory school where highlights in her life. She ended her career becoming a consultant in teaching mathematics to elementary teachers throughout the west.

Mary was an inspiration to all as she championed a can do attitude in any endeavor she pursued. She touched hundreds of students, inspired colleagues, and led educational talks and seminars. Mary had many great experiences with teaching at the Laboratory School and teaching English majors at Tver State University in the Soviet Union.

  Mary was a tireless protector of the people who had a scarcity of resources, emotional isolation, or are minority populations. A master sewer, quilter, knitter, chef, fundraiser and community organizer, she continued to serve in Spokane County for 50 plus years.  Mary and her like-minded tribe of doers, secured prom dresses for homeless girls, raised money for musical instruments for public school children, knitted pairs of slippers yearly for battered women's shelters, handed out free books to families at the Spokane Christmas Bureau, and defended Planned Parenthood from "all enemies foreign, and domestic." 

Mary leaves Dave, Tim, Kim, Piper, Quinn, Scott, Patty, Conor, Katie and scores of family and friends to catch a later train.

A Celebration of Mary Daugharty will be held April 23, 2022 at 11:00 am at the District #3 Firehall, 10 S. Presley Dr. Cheney, WA 99004. Come share memories, laughs, cheers, music and food in celebration of the intrepid Mary.

A private family burial of her ashes on the Henderson farm is planned in Clark Fork, Idaho this summer.

In lieu of flowers it is suggested donations be made to Planned Parenthood in Mary's name. Cremation was performed by Cheney Funeral Chapel.