LAKEVILLE — Mary Markert Arnold, 84, died on Nov. 11, 2024. She was born on Feb. 19, 1940, in Shanghai, China. She grew up around the world, spending significant portions of her childhood in Mexico and Puerto Rico, two countries that left an indelible mark on her life. She moved back to the United States to attend high school at the Shipley School in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania and soon after graduation she married her husband, the late John T. Arnold. They settled in Summit, New Jersey, where they lived for 28 years to raise their family. While raising her children, Mary studied nursing at Seton Hall University, received a master’s degree in nursing from New York University, and then became a Licensed Nurse Practitioner (LNP). She worked as an emergency room nurse and became the Patient Ombudsman at Overlook Hospital in Summit. She was also a member of the Summit Volunteer Rescue Squad.
Later in her career, she worked as a Specialist in Oncology at Memorial Sloane Kettering and Columbia Presbyterian Hospitals in New York City. She also completed the Post-Master’s Certificate Program at Ackerman Institute for the Family.
For the last 30 years, Mary called Lakeville her home spending the last two years at Brandywine Living in Litchfield. She was an active member of the local community, starting a family therapy practice and working closely with the local food pantry. She was an avid horsewoman and loved being at the barn with her beloved horses – first Bagan and then Quieto. She travelled extensively, often visiting Latin America, a region close to her heart since childhood. A fluent Spanish speaker, she loved the Spanish language, Latin American culture and Mexican music. She often used her professional expertise and language skills to volunteer with health and humanitarian groups across the region. Mary also enjoyed spending time outside with her dogs, tending to her gardens, reading, listening to music and doing handiwork. She was a master weaver and craftswoman – often combining her love of weaving and gardening by dying wool using hollyhocks from her garden. She often marveled at the behavior of the birds that took up residence in the kitchen gutter and the design of a spider web glistening in the morning dew.
Mary was predeceased by her husband, John T. Arnold, her daughter, Tina Arnold, and her parents, Philip and Maxine (Maxwell) Markert. Mary is survived by three children; Mark Arnold (Elaine) of Lakeville, Heidi Prins (Tom) of Tiverton, Rhode Island and Estero, Florida, and Matthew Arnold (Tama) of Lexington, Massachusetts. She is also survived by seven grandchildren; Suzanne (Soadad) and Jim (Madison) Arnold, John (Kennedy), Philip and Trescher Prins, and Naomi and Nina Arnold. Her brother, Philip Markert (Susan) of Washington Depot, also survives her, as do sisters-in-law Ellen Lloyd of Haverford, Pennsylvania and Judy Arnold of Willow Street, Pennsylvania and brother-in-law William Arnold (Margaret) of McKinney, Texas. She also leaves behind many adored nieces, nephews and cousins.
A celebration of Mary’s life will take place on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024, at 11:30 a.m. at the Salisbury Town Grove, 42 Ethan Allen Street, Lakeville, CT, 06039.
Arrangements are under the care of Ryan Funeral Home, 255 Main St., Lakeville.In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to The Corner Food Pantry, PO Box 705 Lakeville, CT 06039 (thecornerfoodpantry.org/) or Salisbury Association, PO Box 553, Salisbury, CT 06068 (https://salisburyassociation.org/).
To offer an online condolence, please visit ryanfhct.com
Meg Sher, executive director of the David M. Hunt Library in Falls Village.L. Tomaino 
