Mary Louise (Arnold) Buckels

Mary Louise Buckels, 84, of Chartiers Township, passed away Monday, June 26, 2017, with her family by her side.

She was born July 23, 1932 in Washington, a daughter of Robert Sprowls and May Sites Arnold.

Mary Lou was a 1951 graduate of Chartiers High School and graduated from Westminster College in 1955 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business Administration.

Following her college graduation, she worked for Crucible Steel in Pittsburgh, then American Built Homes of McMurray.  For over 30 years she worked as a bookkeeper and took care of API Leasing for Arnold Pontiac and Arnold Motors in Houston.  She also worked as a personal assistant to Bob Beatty for several years.

A very civic minded person, she volunteered for many Houston Community events and was a founding member of the Houston Community Christmas Decorating Committee that provided decorating for Houston Borough and initiated Houston Light Up Night.

She was a life long member of the First United Presbyterian Church in Houston.

Her family was very important to her and she kept involved in the lives of all her nieces and nephews including the greats and great greats.

She enjoyed wild animals, antiquing, bird watching, soduku, gardening and her cat Willie who she lost shortly before her death.

Surviving are two sisters, Elizabeth Arnold of Houston and Nancy Kidder and her husband C. Dennie of Chartiers Twp.; a brother, Robert S. Arnold and his wife Angela of Houston; four nephews, Reed Arnold (Barbara), Keith Arnold, Robert Arnold (Kim) and Dwight Kidder (Dana); four nieces, Susan Boyer, Ruth May Zarger (Tony), Shirley White (Rev. David) and Lauren Kim Arnold; several great and great-great nieces and nephews.

Deceased in addition to her parents, are two brothers, Samuel H. and Carl Lee Arnold.

Friends and family will be received from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 Friday in the McIlvaine-Speakman Funeral Home Ltd., Robert K. McIlvaine, Owner/Supervisor, 27 Cherry Ave., Houston, PA 15342, where services will be held at 11:00 a.m., Saturday, July 1, 2017 with Rev. Emily Miller officiating.   Interment will follow in Oak Spring Cemetery.  In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions to the Donnell House, 10 Leet St., Washington, PA 15301.   

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