ELKINS PARK, Pa. (CBS) – Students, teachers and parents occupied the front yard of Myers Elementary Thursday in the Cheltenham School District to honor the late crossing guard Mary Washington who protected children at the same intersection for four decades.
Daughter-in-law Bonita Washington said Mary spent 40 years protecting children crossing Union Avenue at Montgomery Avenue.
“Mrs. Washington would be here to stop them. If mom wasn’t here or something, she would take care of them until mom got here or until the parent got here,” Bonita Washington said.
Bonita Washington said Mary Washington guarded the intersection until she contracted pneumonia in 2023 at the age of 82.
“When she couldn’t come back. The sparkle was out of her eyes,” said Bonita Washington.
Mary Washington died in January at the age of 83. Principal Jason Lytle said she is missed.
“There has been a void. Yes, there has been someone here. But Mrs. Washington was much more than just a person standing on the corner of Union and Montgomery avenues,” Lytle said.
That’s why Parent Teacher Organization president Ikysha Dearry wanted something permanent to honor Mary Washington, where she worked for decades.
“I’ve had three children through Myers, so I’ve been blessed to experience Mrs. Washington for a number of years now,” Dearry said.
To honor that reliability, a sign with Mary Washington’s name will serve as an announcement that she was there to care for students. Bonita Washington said it will also offer a remembrance.
“It’s beautiful. It’s amazing. And like we said, remember to drive 15 miles per hour in the school zone,” said Bonita Washington.
The sign won’t be the only tribute to Mary Washington. Director Lytle said benches will eventually be installed so people can reflect on her legacy.
