Born in Philadelphia Pennsylvania, Mary passed away peacefully at home in Vancouver surrounded by family. She died the way she lived - with grace and dignity.

Mary left her farm home near Princeton New Jersey at age 19 to attend Ryerson College. She became a skilled stenographer in the days of shorthand, typewriters and carbon paper. She also became a single engine commercial pilot ferrying light aircraft from the manufacturer to airports across the U.S.

Mary went on to become the secretary and administrative assistant to the CEO of NBC. Although she loved New York City, Mary longed to live in Europe and to do so joined the US Army as a civilian. She served as assistant to US Army Generals in Orleans and Paris, France. There she met her future husband Herb Auerbach. They married, returned to the States and then moved to Canada, becoming Canadian citizens and raising their family of 5 children – Marc, Michele, Paul, Karen and Andrew – in Montreal and then Vancouver.

Notwithstanding the excitement of her previous careers, being a wife and mother, was to her the best and most rewarding career of them all. Mary was also a great animal lover and fostered countless cats over the years. She was a founding director of the Vancouver Humane Society.

Mary was pre-deceased by her brothers, Francis, Leonard and Edward James; her sister, Patricia Golden; and daughter, Karen Nabors. Her death will leave a great void in the lives of her husband, and their children, Marc and his partner Alice, Michele and her husband John, Andrew and his wife Erica, Paul and his partner Crystal; as well her grandchildren, Glenn Nabors and Paris Nabors (and their partners Cha-Rae and Katrina), Claire, Dean, Will Ruskin, Atticus and Roman Auerbach; and great grandchildren, Jeremiah and Isabella Nabors; her sisters in law, Linda Auerbach and Kay James; and many nieces and nephews; not to mention her many friends in Canada, the U.S, and in France.

In helping Mary through her last journey her family wishes to thank and acknowledge their care and compassion, the doctors and nurses at the BC Cancer Agency, especially Dr. Hagen Kennecke, the Palliative Care team, in particular Care Nurses Reni and Florence and Caregivers Lynn, Pooja, and Rose as well as her personal physician Dr. Neasa Coll.