In Memory
MARY K. SCARBECK
Jan. 24, 1929 - Aug. 23, 2010
SOUTH BEND - Mary K. Scarbeck, loving wife, mother, sister and grandmother, 81, of South Bend, IN, passed away unexpectedly at 10:07 a.m. Monday, August 23, 2010, in Saint Joseph's Regional Medical Center. She had been recovering at Regency Place from surgery last month. Mary was born on January 24, 1929, in South Bend, to Peter and Theresa (Szaradics) Bencsics. Mary was a first-generation Hungarian-American. Her parents and older sister moved to the area from Hungary in the early 1920s.
Mary grew up on the west side of South Bend. She attended Benjamin Harrison School. She began her working career at age 14. She was a soda jerk at Hook's Drug Store. She also worked as an assistant at the Grand Leader Beauty Shop. While a senior at Washington High School, she worked part-time in the toy department at Robertson's Department Store. After school and during summer vacations she also worked at Ball Band on the assembly lines, helping to make boots on the "Victory Shift" for the war effort. Mary graduated from Washington High School in January 1947.
She then began a three-year stint at the Associates Investment firm in South Bend. While there she worked as a typist in the billing department, stenographer in the credit department, and finally as a secretary to the assistant vice president. From 1950-1954 Mary was an assistant librarian at the Studebaker Corporation in South Bend. She loved this library work. Her favorite part of the work was the research. One of the first questions she was asked to look up was, "What is the gestation period of an elephant?" It was at this time that she met the tall, handsome man, Robert Scarbeck, who would later become her husband. He was a Notre Dame student, and they met at one of the many big band dances held for young people in South Bend at the time.
After getting married, Mary and Bob moved to Chicago to live with his mom and step-dad. Mary worked briefly as a secretary to the research director at Clinton E. Frank, Inc., of Chicago. A terrible flood which ruined many of the newlyweds' things was the straw that broke the camel's back. They moved back to South Bend and Mary returned to work at Studebaker's, this time employed as a typist and reporter for the company magazine, Studebaker Spotlight. She then spent four more years, until the birth of her son in 1960, employed at the Bendix Aerospace Division in Mishawaka as a typist and stenographer. After the birth of three children within six years, Mary took time off to raise her family. She was a wonderful, loving and patient person.
Once her children were older, she returned to the workforce. She worked at the Coquillard School library in the 1970s, then for the St. Joseph County Public Library in the early 1990s. With the birth of her first grandchild in 1995, Mary officially retired from her paid jobs, but then became a loving babysitter. She had a kind and loving nature which many people commented on. In her spare time Mary enjoyed reading, gardening, cooking, and being with her family. A child of the Depression, she was always thrifty and enjoyed reusing items long before recycling came into fashion.
On February 19, 1955, in the former St. Stephen's Church, as Mary K. Bencsics, she married Robert C. Scarbeck, who preceded her in death on March 8, 1983. Also preceding her in death were her parents and her sister, Theresa Kocsis.
Survivors include a son, John R. Scarbeck of South Bend, and two daughters, Judy Scarbeck of South Bend and Kathy Scarbeck (Tim Moran) of Chevy Chase, MD. Mary is also survived by three grandchildren, Susie Scarbeck of South Bend, and Eric and Sabrina Moran of Chevy Chase, MD. Mary is also survived by her sister, Betty (Roy) Gulbranson of Mishawaka, and her brother, Pete (Mary) Bencsics of South Bend. She is survived by her brother-in-law, Ron (Ruth) Owczarski. She has four nephews, Jim (Yvonne) Kocsis, Tom Gulbranson, Steve Bencsics and Joe Bencsics. She also has four surviving nieces, Lisa (Scott) Stearns, Sue (Jim) Schultz, Karen Nichols and Nancy Owczarski. A niece, Patty (Steve) Uhrick of Florida, preceded her in death last month. The family wishes to thank the wonderful staff at St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center, Mishawaka, for their outstanding care, and also Regency Place of South Bend for their kindness.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 a.m. Friday, August 27, 2010, in St. John the Baptist Church. Burial will follow at Highland Cemetery. Friends may call from 4 until 8 p.m. Thursday in the Kaniewski Funeral Home, 3545 N. Bendix Drive, where a parish Rosary will be said at 7:30 p.m. Mary was a member of St. John the Baptist Parish. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Heart Association or to the American Lung Association. To send online condolences, please visit Kaniewski.com.
05/16/2023 EJS
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