Mary Jane “MJ” Wardle left us too soon on December 24, in The Villages, FL. She was a lovely person with a dazzling smile who loved her family, parents Bill and Judy, brothers John(Robin), Jay (Meridith), and nieces and nephew Crystal, Courtney, Annika, Eva, and Jack, partner Jill and of course her “canine son” Colby Jack. Born May 30, 1964, MJ led a fabulously full life in her 50 short years. An ardent Steelers and Pirates fan, she was never happier than while sitting on the third base line at PNC Park.
Born and raised in Boardman, OH, she went on to be a loyal Bobcat attending her beloved Ohio University where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in communications and a Master’s degree in Sports Administration. While there, she was a member of both the softball team and ARMY ROTC. She took her love of sports and turned it into a career working for the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Pittsburgh Pirates and was instrumental in the inception of the First Women’s Professional Softball League in Charlotte, NC. Mary Jane later worked passionately as the South Carolina Director of Communications for the American Cancer Society before relocating to Florida where she started her own Sports Image franchise business and was currently a supervisor with The Villages Community Watch. MJ’s proudest accomplishment was her six years of service in the US Army where she achieved the rank of Captain. She was an Army paratrooper with 69 jumps in the esteemed 82nd Airborne Division, including international jumps into Honduras, Nicaragua, and Canada. She was a pioneer as one of the first female Jumpmasters with that unit. AIRBORNE!! She was very proud of her work during Operation Desert Shield as the Assistant Public Relations Officer for the 82nd, where she was responsible for Stateside communications during that crucial time. She later continued her dedication to service as the Commander of the Worldwide Airborne Club in The Villages. She loved her dog, the beach, the people in her life, “All you can eat crab leg night”, golf, ESPN, and so much more. One of her favorite things to do was to watch a peaceful sunset. The sun has now set on this beautiful person’s life here on earth, but her spirit will remain in us all. A gathering of friends and family will be held from 10 to 11 am with a service to follow on January 7, 2015 at North Lake Presbyterian Church. The burial will take place the same day at 2:30 p.m., with military honors at Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell.
