Obituary of Mary Gollnick

On February 25, 2015, we bid a final farewell to Mary Ann Ehmen Gollnick. She was born on Jan. 1, 1935 in Chicago, IL, where she grew up, worked and married her husband (Ted) of 60 years. In 1961, they relocated to Jacksonville, FL, where she dedicated her life to her family and her passion for nursing.

She will be remembered for her lifelong pursuit of learning; attending college while working nights as an ER nurse. She earned her Associate in Science (FJC) in 1975; Bachelor of Science (UNF) in Nursing in 1983, and Masters of Science in Health Science (UNF) in 1989. Always an eager student, she was a regular attendee of the UNF Alumni Continuing Education program, studying history, baseball, world cultures, and even learning to play bridge.

In the community, Mary was active in the Gateway Women's Club (past President) and the Grove Park Homeowners Association. However, her primary focus was on advocating for the elderly. She served as an in-house clinician for 12 years at Aging True (formerly Cathedral Foundation/Urban Jacksonville) training home care staff. She also served on the Board of the Northeast FL Alzheimer's Association (1994-2000), and contributed her knowledge to the Visiting Nurses Association. She truly had a heart for an old soul.

In her private life, Mary engaged in cooking and gardening with creativity and zeal. No gathering was complete without her famous potato salad! She enjoyed delving into her German heritage, even acquiring a workable command of the language. Her sense of adventure took her and Ted hiking the mountain trails in Maggie Valley, NC as well as traveling across the globe, experiencing sights, sounds and tastes that she would enthusiastically share during family gatherings.

Mary is preceded by her father, Chris Ehmen, mother Lenora Ankea Flessner, and brother Charles Wayne Ehmen; and survived by her husband, Theodore Edward Gollnick; sons Douglas Edward (Heather), and Chris Theodore; and grandchildren Darin Edward and Jennifer Lynn. She will be missed immensely by many loving friends, colleagues, family members and the countless lives she touched. A remembrance gathering will be scheduled at a later date; please contact the family for details. In lieu of flowers, a donation can be made in Mary's honor to the Northeast Florida Alzheimer's Association, Aging True - Community Senior Services, or UNF College of Nursing.