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Waukegan pastor remembered for volunteer work: 'She would always put others first'

A Waukegan pastor whose volunteer work included ministering to Lake County jail inmates and collecting toys for needy children is being remembered for decades of community service.

The Rev. Mary Climons Lacey, 80, of Waukegan died Wednesday.

One of 10 children, Lacey grew up in rural Mississippi. As a younger woman, she marched for civil rights with the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

Lacey settled in Waukegan after marriage.

She was a woman of many talents and interests. She worked as a contractor at the Great Lakes Naval Station near North Chicago, made elegant women's hats, earned a certificate in social work and became a pastor, among other pursuits.

She even would take in unsupervised children whose parents worked at night, hosting as many as 20 at a time.

"I figure I helped raise about 5,000 children over 32 years," she told the Daily Herald in 2017.

In 1987, Lacey helped launch a homeless shelter in Waukegan called Mary's Mission.

She also taught families how to farm and to can the food they grew.

"She would help any and everyone she could," Lake County Board member Angelo Kyle said. "She would always put others first before herself."

Lacey began volunteering at the jail in 2002, working as a clergy member for inmates. She gave motivational talks and would pray with inmates who chose to participate, said Lake County sheriff's police Sgt. Christopher Covelli.

That work continued until about a year ago.

Lacey also helped collect holiday gifts for needy children, including those whose parents were jailed in Lake County.

"This brought much-needed joy to the families of those struggling with having a father or mother incarcerated," Covelli said.

Sheriff John Idleburg called Lacey a trailblazer "who worked hard to instill inspiration in others."

"Through her motivational leadership inside the Lake County jail, there's no doubt she positively impacted the lives of those incarcerated and their families," Idleburg said.

The sheriff's office used Twitter to publicly memorialize Lacey on Thursday.

"Mary spent so much of her life helping others," the office tweeted. "We will miss you, Mary - thank you for your service."

Funeral arrangements are pending.

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The Rev. Mary Lacey, left, addresses the crowd during a Christmas celebration at the Lake County jail in 2015. Daily Herald File Photo, 2015
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