DOVER - Mary Jane Kee passed away on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2013. She was born in Salisbury, Md. on Oct. 8, 1934, daughter of A. Gorman Dashiell and Ella Lee Moore of Delmar. Her love of books and learning was apparent to all of her friends, family, and students as she shared plot lines, literary interplay, human foibles, and the grammar and mechanics of reading and writing with those she loved. She graduated valedictorian of her class in 1953 from Delmar High School; she graduated from the University of Delaware with her Bachelor of Arts in 1957. She married into the military and travelled to Illinois and Hawaii; then returned to Delaware in 1971 to raise her children and work in the public school and college academic arenas. While teaching, she completed her Master of Education at the University of Delaware in 1975. She taught special education, reading, and English for 24 years and retired from her public education career with the Capital School District in 1991. The professional associations she belonged to were, LFEA and CEA affiliates of National Education Association; Diamond State Reading Association; International Reading Association; and the Delaware Association for Teachers of English which is an affiliate of the National Council of Teachers of English. In addition to her public school career, she was an instructor and academic advisor for Wilmington University from 1992-2003. Her role as a student advocate and confidant earned the respect and thanks of many students and collegial peers. Her love of animals brought her great solace; Lucy, Patrick, and Dickens were some of her favorite "people". Hours of warmth, humor, and affection were spent with these members of her family. She is survived by her brother, Robert Dashiell of Salisbury, Md. and his wife, Chris; she also leaves to mourn her daughter, Patricia Kee of Dover and Snowy and Jasmine; her son, James Kee and his wife, Alma, and granddaughter, Teresa of Tampa, Fla.; a close circle of friends will miss her deeply including, Karen MacMurray, Pat Randolph, Agnes Nixon, Dorothy Spencer, Jennifer Spencer, and Ginger Angstadt. A gathering of remembrance and celebration of Mary's life for friends and family will be held at the Pippin Funeral Home on Monday, Nov. 25, 2013 from 5 to 6 p.m. Contributions may be made in Mary's name to the American Humane Society or the SPCA. Friends may send Letters of Condolences via www.pippinfuneralhome.com.