Mary Elizabeth Eichlin, 81, of Easton, passed away on Sunday, December 11, 2022, in St. Luke’s Hospice House. Born May 26, 1941, in Los Angeles, CA, she was the daughter of the late George John and Thelma Marie (née Henderson) Volger. Her husband, Robert Henry Eichlin, passed away in 2010.
Surviving are a son, David G. Fay, a daughter, Sarah Fay Krom, a sister, Helen T. Volger, a brother, George M. Volger, four stepchildren, Valerie A. Paul, Mark H. Eichlin, Lauri F. Henninger, and Robin S. Hahn, a former husband, David A. Fay, 27 grandchildren, and 33 great grandchildren. She is predeceased by two daughters, Mary C. Lewis and Susan E. Cunningham, a sister, Thelma Clare Winchell, and a grandchild, Rosalind G. Lewis.
After years of living in various parts of the U.S. and Venezuela, Mary Elizabeth settled in the Lehigh Valley with her four children in the late 1970s. She worked for Chelsea Prints, Easton Printing Company, and International Women’s Apparel/HMX. She was also a member of St. Jane Frances de Chantal Church, where she sang in the choir.
Mary Elizabeth’s passions were theater and music, and she was active in a number of area theaters, including Chansonnette, where she was on the Board of Directors for several years, Pennsylvania Playhouse, Country Gate Players, Civic Little Theatre, September Chamber Opera Troupe, Center Stage, and Community Theatre & Light Opera Company. Among her more memorable roles are General Matilda in Guys and Dolls (1978), the Fairy Queen in Iolangthe (1978), Vera Charles in Mame (1979), Karen in Applause (1979), Miss Brill in Cheaper by the Dozen (1979), Hortense in The Boyfriend (1980), Mrs. Mullin in Carousel (1981), Mrs. Peachum in Three Penny Opera (1986), Sue in Bells are Ringing (1987), Dame Quickly in Falstaff (1993), and the Witch in Humperdinck’s Hansel & Gretel (1998).
During her time in Venezuela, Mary Elizabeth was active in the Caracas Playhouse, where she won the Best Supporting Actress award for her role as Katisha in Gilbert and Sullivan’s Mikado. Her fame as a versatile character actor extended to Mrs. Bedwin and the Rose Seller in Oliver, as well as an earlier production of Guys and Dolls.
Her vocal talent was also on display during the annual Musikfest of Bethlehem, the chorus of Cole Porter Review (1977) and Promises Promises (1979), various singing roles in Man of La Mancha (1980), Fiorello, The Quilters (1991), and Menotti’s Old Maid and the Thief, as well as in various church choirs.
Despite her California birth and many moves in the first two decades of her first marriage, Mary Elizabeth was an Iowan through and through. Both parents and all four of her grandparents were from Iowa, and she spent all of her childhood in Muscatine, Iowa, where her father owned the area’s only FM radio station, KWPC. As a music major at Clarke College in Dubuque, she followed closely in her mother’s footsteps. Her mother, Thelma M. Volger, Ph.D., was a professor of music at several universities in the U.S. and Australia, eventually retiring from the field in Iowa.
Mary Elizabeth was an avid reader with a sharp-witted sense of humor that made her the family champion of the weekly New Yorker cartoon contest. She enjoyed a range of murder mysteries and closely followed her favorite series on PBS, BBC, and A&E. A gourmet cook, she also enjoyed her daughter-in-law’s Turkish food, her stepson’s roast turkey, and her daughter’s willingness to try new restaurants in the Easton area. Her greatest pleasure came from keeping up to date on the lives of her grandchildren and great grandchildren. For Mary Elizabeth, even the most ordinary moments carried great value.
Services are planned for January 2023. The Ashton Funeral Home, Easton, is overseeing arrangements. Memorial contributions may be made to your favorite local theatrical organization. Offer online condolences at www.AshtonFuneralHome.com.
Nancy Volger Malone
December 15, 2022 at 10:38 am
Deepest sympathy upon the loss of Mary Elizabeth. She was a lively and witty conversationalist in our telephone visits. Extraordinary lady indeed!
David A Fay
December 15, 2022 at 2:00 pm
We will remember Mary Elizabeth for her play on words and her musical talent. I first became aware of it when I received a recording she gave me of her rendition of Danny Boy.- but I know of no one who can forget her entrance song in the Mikado Finale Act 1 she performed in Caracas. There is no Youtube version that I can find that comes close to that performance. We hope she is singing now with the angels.
John Jeffers
December 15, 2022 at 4:03 pm
Dave and Sarah, I’m very sorry to hear of your mother’s passing. I remember her as a kind, caring and highly expressive person, always interested in what her kids were doing, and always proud and supportive. From reading other remembrances, it sounds as if she continued in that manner with her in-laws and grandchildren. May she rest in peace.
Egecan Alan Fay
December 17, 2022 at 1:24 am
Dear Grandma,
Or as you liked to positively chirp “grandma me!” You are much loved and missed. Soft kisses on the cheeks, cookies in the pantry, and more. As you know, here in Ankara, I have set up a small vigil with a candle lit in your honor for the past several days on top of the Sunday Missals book gifted by you. Almost half of the city should be able to see it. I do apologize for I clumsily spilled some wax on it the first night, but don’t worry the book is still in great shape.
Love you and miss you
Your grandson
Egecan Alan Fay
Rachel Rush
December 17, 2022 at 7:16 am
I am sorry to hear of Aunt Mary Elizabeth’s passing. I remember her sharp wit and her twinkly eyes when she saw a joke before everyone else. We are donating in her memory to a local children’s performance company serving our community in southeast London. Thank you for this wonderful description of her achievements. I knew she was talented but did not know to the extent, and I was grateful to share with my family. Much love to everyone.
Omer Genel
December 18, 2022 at 4:04 am
Dear David,
I convey my condolences on the death of your mother and wish you and your family a healthy and happy life.
May she rest in peace…💐
Sharon Lewis
December 20, 2022 at 10:30 pm
David and Sarah, my deepest sympathy on the death of your dear mother. She was such an interesting person with a kind heart. I wish we had lived closer, and could have known her better! I have a feeling she had many wonderful stories of a life well lived. Sending hugs from Texas…
Susanna Tracy
December 21, 2022 at 10:28 pm
Dear Grandma,
I will always be grateful for the comments you would send through Facebook, the interest in music you and I both shared, and the playful rebukes that hinted at a more mischievous and whimsical side. I wish I had known you longer, but I am truly grateful for the time that I did have. I know right now you are laughing and singing with your two other daughters.
My sincerest love to you, Uncle David and Aunt Sarah.
Harry Lewis
December 23, 2022 at 11:57 am
Dear Grandma,
Thank you for the love and support shown over the years, from texts asking about the siblings, rebukes on my misbehaving photos on Facebook, and sending me my baby quilt for Bruce. I remember, much to my chagrin, embarrassing my mom when being too frank as a child in front of you. I wish I had the time to introduce Bruce in person, but I will raise him on the stories and pictures of you. Rest in Peace and give my best to Mom.
Lucy Kouf
January 8, 2023 at 9:31 am
Dearest Uncle David and Aunt Sarah,
The deepest condolences for your loss. I can’t imagine but it must be a difficult season for you both, yet am thankful Grandma’s passing was peaceful. Losing a loved one is never easy, yet God comforts us through it. May He comfort you both.
I am so thankful for the opportunities God gave us to fellowship with her, and I will always miss her laughter. I love you both!