Mary Skoglund

Mary Louise Skoglund, beloved mother, sister, activist, and friend, passed away on December 17, 2024.

Mary was born in Berkeley, California on October 12, 1948. Her parents were Daisy Nelson Skoglund and John Skoglund, both children of Swedish immigrants. Mary had three older sisters, Jean, Joy, and Linda--all relieved that she was born a girl.

In 1951 the family moved to Tenafly, New Jersey. The years in New Jersey brought her a baby brother, John. There were also snow sledding and autumn leaves, farm apples, kittens, and school. In Kindergarten she asked the teacher to teach her to read. The woman replied that it was not in the curriculum until first grade. Her sisters played school and taught her to read at home.

In 1954 the family moved to Seattle, Washington where her father pastored The First Baptist Church, a liberal church in the heart of the city. Seattle taught Mary the joys of city life. Sister Linda and she walked to school. On weekends they rode the bus to the zoo to see the animals and ride the kiddy roller coaster. On the way home they often stopped for a 19 Cent burger.

In 1958 the family moved again. This time it was to Rochester, New York. Her older sisters were in college in Oregon, but she and Linda finished school in Brighton. Mary went to Wooster College in Ohio where she was an English major. In college she was active the feminist movement, anti-war and social justice activities.

After leaving Wooster, Ms. Skoglund was not sure what to do. She had not actually graduated from college. She returned home to Rochester and began working at a local nursing home. She enjoyed working with her "old people." They loved her and called her "Mrs. So-called" or "Mrs. Scrotum." She decided to become a nurse.

After graduating from nursing school, Mary decided to leave Rochester. She moved to Baltimore with her friend June, a Baltimorean who had just graduated from pharmacy school. She worked for a while at Johns Hopkins in a psych ward with young people, but missing her old people, and wanting to advance in her career, she enrolled in nurse-practitioner training at the University of Maryland. While hanging around the lab one day she met a handsome young technician named John Young. After completing her training, she went to work for the university at a clinic for people with HIV. She had found her old people again. Most were poor; some were homeless.

Mary and John were married in Hong Kong. They had the wedding receptions there and at the Young family farm in Uniontown, Maryland. They raised two children: Eric (b. 1984) and Andy (b. 1987). Mary worked full time as a single parent after John's death in 2001 due to ALS.

Ms. Skoglund worked for decades as a nurse practitioner in infectious diseases. She worked in clinics all over the Baltimore region, including Sinai, Chase Brexton, and the University of Maryland. She was a beloved and resolute advocate for her patients, especially during the height of the HIV/AIDS crisis.

From protesting the Vietnam and Iraq Wars to championing the equal rights of LGTBQ+ people, Mary spent her entire lifetime fighting for peace and equality for all.

Mary loved to travel with her friends and family. In any given year you could find her in Mexico, China, India, Iceland, or Chincoteague, Virginia.

Mary enjoyed reading-especially Agatha Christie mystery novels-and she was a member of a monthly book group for decades. She loved baseball and always tried to go to at least one Baltimore Orioles game a year.

But most of all, Mary enjoyed spending time with her many friends and family and making sure that everyone was laughing and having a wonderful time. Mary Skoglund is survived by her son Andy, her four sisters, and the tremendous number of friends she made throughout her life.