Mary Catherine Rozell Community Leader, Teacher, Former City Council Member and Strawberry Festival Grand Marshall Mary Catherine Rozell, age 81, of Troy, Ohio, passed away following a brief illness on Tuesday, November 8, 2011 at The Ohio State University Medical Center in Columbus, Ohio. She was born on June 22, 1930 in Middletown, Ohio to the late Richard Ambrose and Mary Elizabeth Mulligan Gardner. Her husband, Ronald Alan Rozell, preceded her in death on April 8, 1977. Mary Catherine, known to most as "Toosie," was an honors graduate of Troy High School Class of '48 and received her Bachelor's Degree in Mathematics Magna Cum Laude from Ohio Dominican College formerly Saint Mary's of the Springs and her Master's Degree in Education from the University of Dayton. Until being hospitalized in October, she lived at her residence in Troy for over 50 years. An avid bridge player, she attended football and basketball games at both Troy High School and the University of Dayton, and loved to watch tennis at both the high school and professional levels. She retired from teaching at Troy City Schools after serving with Kyle, Heywood and Cookson Elementary Schools. An active member of St. Patrick Catholic Church, Troy, she was involved with Right to Life and volunteered at the Victoria Theater in Dayton and as a driver for Partners in Hope. She served in a variety of community activities as a member of the Troy Recreation Board, Hayner Program Committee, former member of the Dollar-for-Scholars Board, United Way Board, Stouder Foundation Distribution Board, Troy City Council, Mayor's Senior Advisory Committee, Leadership Troy class of 1994, Current Events Club, and a founding member of the Miami County Democratic Women's Club. In 2001, she served as the Grand Marshall of the Troy Strawberry Festival parade. She is survived by her son, William Gardner Rozell of Troy; two daughters and sons-in-law, Mary Elizabeth and Michael Dempsey of Coppell, Texas, and Maura Ellen and Michael McMahon of Arlington, Virginia; brother and sister-in-law, Michael Paul and Martha Gardner of Hunt Valley, Maryland; brother-in-law, Norman Lee "Casey" Rozell of Cleveland, Ohio; sisters-in-law Donna Rozell of Cincinnati, Ohio, Betty Ann Gardner of Brea, California, and Gisela Gardner of Chicago, Illinois; and six grandchildren: Timothy Patrick Dempsey, Peter Thomas Dempsey, Andrew Michael Dempsey, Catherine Ann "Cate" Dempsey, Ian Patrick McMahon and Sarah Catherine McMahon. In addition to her parents and her husband, she was preceded in death by two brothers, Richard Joseph and John Robert Gardner; sister-in-law, Nancy Rozell; and brother-in-law, Thomas Rozell. Memorial Mass will be held at 3:00PM on Friday, November 18, 2011 at St. Patrick Catholic Church, Troy, with Rev. Fr. Eugene Vonderhaar officiating. Private interment will take place in Riverside Cemetery, Troy. Friends may call from 4:00PM-8:00PM on Thursday, November 17, 2011 at Baird Funeral Home, Troy, with Rosary at 7:30PM. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to St. Patrick School Endowment Fund, 409 E. Main Street, Troy, Ohio 45373 or Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease CJD Foundation Inc., P.O. Box 5312, Akron, Ohio 44334. Friends may express condolences to the family through www.bairdfuneralhome.com.