Mary Barbara Rutkoski

Mary Barbara Rutkoski,78 of Evans City, passed away peacefully on March 31, 2026. The eldest of eight children, Mary B., as the family called her, graduated from Mount Mercy College.  Her first job took her across the country as a company ambassador performing quality control for Gulf Oil. She then returned to her Alma Mater (now Carlow University) as the Director of Alumnae Relations. Her next opportunity as Director of Retail Advertising for GNC was the beginning of a successful career in marketing which she continued at the advertising agency Marc & Co. and DeBartolo Corporation, where she managed shopping center marketing programs nationwide. Mary later joined the ministry of Gospa Missions, a charity founded by her husband, Tom. They worked at home and abroad, including their popular pilgrimages to Medjugorje, Bosnia bringing many of the faithful with them. Among their accomplishments is Abode for Children, which for 21 years impacted thousands of children at St. Joseph’s school and orphanage in Ogoja, Nigeria. Today it operates an orphanage and school in Cherukupalli, India.  After Tom’s passing Mary continued to work at Gospa managing its Amazing Grace Books & Gifts shop in Evans City and organizing retreats.

She loved musicals and is famous within the family for having seen Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story more than 11 times within a few years after its release and wearing out the LP several times. Her love of music was rekindled in her later years when she happily hopped on a tour bus to see Paul McCartney in concert in several cities. Other colorful stories of her love of entertainment and told many times over include a movie date night with Gary Lewis and The Playboys in the 1960’s between concerts they were performing at the Allegheny County Fairgrounds and stints as a game show contestant on Jeopardy! and a five-day winning streak on Tic-Tac-Dough.

Surviving Mary B. are her seven siblings, Pat Beharry (Bill), Michael Beharry, Jr., Dan Beharry (Paula), Fran Seger (Ed), Ginna Beharry, Nancy Byrnes (Ed) and Martha Beharry, four nieces, two nephews, a great niece and six great nephews. She is pre-deceased by her parents, Mary and Michael Beharry.

Funeral services will take place on Thursday, April 9th, 2026 beginning at 8:30 am with the Prayers of the Rosary followed by a viewing at Pittsburgh Cremation and Funeral Care, 3287 Washington Road, McMurray, PA,15317. A funeral mass at 10:00 am will follow at a St. John XXIII, St. Benedict the Abbot Church, 120 Abington Drive, McMurray PA, 15317.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions may be made to Gospa Missions at gospamissions.org