At 79, Waukegan woman remains passionate about helping others

Unassuming but outspoken, passionate and unstoppable, the Rev. Mary Climons Lacey is known throughout Waukegan and surrounding communities for the work she does to help those in need.

At 79, the tenacious go-getter shows no signs of slowing down, even though finances to support her efforts are critically low.

Lacey grew up as one of 10 children in rural Mississippi. As a youngster, she picked cotton for 50 cents an hour, 12 hours a day. The work meant she could attend school only three months a year, but that did not stop her from learning.

She grew up near the place where Emmett Till was murdered in 1955, a racially motivated killing that became a seminal moment in the Civil Rights Movement. She later marched with Martin Luther King Jr.

Her mother taught to her to love people, as well as how to sew, create her own toys - especially for Christmas - and to make the most of what was available.

Always a maverick, at 21 she told her mother she wanted to further her education. She moved to Florida, where she would meet her future husband, William. She returned to Mississippi to finish school, and William followed her and proposed. They later married and settled in Waukegan, William's hometown.

However, Lacey was widowed at 32 when her husband suffered a heart attack on the seventh birthday of their son, William Jr.

To make ends meet, she worked as a contractor at Naval Station Great Lakes near North Chicago and handmade elegant hats for "church ladies" and Kentucky Derby goers. She also continued her education, became a pastor, a foster parent, and earned a certificate in social work.

Since arriving in Lake County, Lacey has worked actively to change the lives of Waukegan residents for the better.

Upon seeing unsupervised children whose parents worked most of the night, Lacey took them in, fostering as many as 20 at a time in her home.

"I figure I helped raise about 5,000 children over 32 years," she said.

She's also taught families to start truck gardens and to can the food they grew, and worked to encourage better relationships between the police and residents, with a special focus on helping the families of incarcerated residents.

Serving the homeless has been a major part of her mission. In 1987, she helped found Mary's Mission, and purchased a permanent home for the shelter in 1991. With the help of William Jr., they added 5,000 feet to the existing building. At capacity, the nonprofit shelter can serve 10 adults and 10 boys.

Since its founding, Mary's Mission has helped hundreds of people and Lacey has invested her time and modest income into keeping it alive.

"This is a place to come if you are looking to transition and need assistance so you can move on and live independently," said Marie Williams, who helps manage the shelter. "Most here are unable to work due to disabilities. (They sign a contract to) get help with life skills and medications. It's not a drop-in place."

Mary's Mission is one place the Lake County sheriff's office refers to homeless former inmates, said Chief Jennifer Witherspoon.

"Mary gives them a chance, can help them with job hunting, networking and provide the support they need," she said.

Helping the homeless has become a family undertaking. Her son, a retired U.S. Army major, created four specialized programs for troubled populations in his home state of Arizona. His daughters assist.

"The gift my mom has is, when people have been turned down for assistance by every agency, she figures out how to help them," he said.

Lacey also is an advocate for children in need. In 2007, she teamed with Witherspoon to start a toy giveaway program for children who might go without over the holidays. The program has expanded each year.

"We kept raising the bar each year until, about four years ago, she organized the first annual Waukegan Christmas parade," Witherspoon said. "Even though it was cold, the kids were very grateful. The crowds get bigger each year. Each year, we try to do better than the previous year - adding different programs to give away toys, turkeys and hams, as well as healthy snacks for the kids."

Witherspoon said whatever Lacey does "comes from a spiritual place."

"To her, this is God's calling. Despite the many obstacles she's had in her life, Mary is unstoppable," she said.

Monique Lacey said her grandmother "is the rock of many families."

"She is like the grandparent (others) can borrow for a little bit," Monique Lacy said. "You don't see a lot of the old-school parenting traditions (she teaches) like 'Yes, ma'am and 'No, sir.'"

When not working to help others, Lacey has been singing at churches and conventions around the world with her sisters, an experience through which she became friends with the Nat King Cole family. The siblings sang both at the White House and in Waukegan for first ladies Lady Bird Johnson and Roslyn Carter.

"I have had a life filled with grace and mercy and am proud of all I've done," Lacey said.