Mary Lee

Mary Lee is slow to answer the door, but when she does you are immediately captivated by her sparkling eyes and bright smile. She holds her cane in hands withered by arthritis and walks with a noticeable limp. An inoperable tumor has been on her left hip for thirty years and has grown in size over the years. Her ailments confine her but they do not dampen her spirit. With her cane she shows us in, asking us to move magazines and papers to make room on a chair. Pictures of an earlier life decorate Mary’s walls: there she is in dance costumes, wearing a tiara in a parade, standing astride the backs of two elephants and assorted photos of Mary on and off stage. Her skin still glows and she’ll tell you it was her theater life. “The face is most important. Always, always moisturize and be sure to look up when they take your picture so you look your best-eyes on the camera but with your head angled just right.”

For 87 and a half year old Mary, “Don’t forget the half!” she says, what began as a love for horses became a career. She was dancing at New Y ork’s Roxy Theater by the time she was 14 years old and she loved the thrill of being onstage. Several years later Mary was living in a girl’s rooming house on tour in Sarasota, Florida. There she met a circus recruiter. With her love of animals and experience as a dancer, the acts came natural to her. She was hired.

The next day Mary fit everything she owned into one paper bag and boarded a train for New York to begin her life as a performer in the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. The circus became her family. It was there she met her husband, an elephant trainer, proposing to him after only two days. They made a life together on the road.

Eventually, Mary stopped traveling with the circus and returned to New York. With her husband gone she turned again to show business, this time backstage as a dresser for Broadway and off-Broadway shows.

In the 1980’s Mary began volunteering at Encore Senior Center at St. Malachy’s Church. She would rise at 5a.m. every morning to prepare meals for her elderly neighbors who came in every day. It was her way to give back to the city’s theater community–many of whom lived right there in the neighborhood. She loved her work at St. Malachy’s and will proudly show you her Merit of Service Award.

Mary is alone now. During the past several years the tumor has become more debilitating and her limp so severe she is a virtual prisoner in her cluttered apartment. It is painful for her to walk any distance. Even so, she remains positive and tries to use her muscles as often as possible. As a small paper falls from her hands, she remarks, “The Lord knows why He makes something drop to the floor. Now I need to bend over and pick it up.”

When Mary volunteered at St. Malachy’s she never imagined she would one day be on the other side of that daily meal. “I’m so grateful, so lucky, Citymeals and the people at Encore now take care of me.”

Mary is not unlike thousands of our meal recipients. She lived a fulfilling life, but is now alone with the four walls of her apartment. Our meal deliverers get to see not only the frail friends you help us feed every day, but the people they once were. In spite of the challenges old age presents, the spirit is nearly always the same as it always was.

We invite you to join our family of friends and help keep these spirits vibrant with nutritious food and caring companionship. Any amount you can give for our elderly is appreciated and 100% of the donation goes towards the meals we deliver. Share your love and support with a senior citizen today.