Mary Hirko

Mary Catherine (Linn) Hirko, 82 years old, passed away on February 14, 2026 in Durham, North Carolina. Mary was born on September 15,1943 in Michigan. She was the oldest female and 7th child of a big boisterous family containing 14 children. She is survived by her son (Andy), daughter (Tammy), and her favorite human in the entire world, her grandson, “The Favorite” (Payton). She is survived by her siblings Jack, Bob, Julia, Judy, and Dave. Mary was preceded in death by her husband of 52 years (Ron), her son-in-law (Brian), and siblings (Joe, Ed, Tom, Jim, Charlie, Paul, Margaret Ann, and Ruth Alice).

Mary was the oldest female in a very large family. She grew up being a little mom to the younger siblings, including being a Godmother at the ripe age of 10 years old to her youngest sibling, the “Caboose”, Paul. She spent the majority of her 82 years being a homemaker where she enjoyed the tasks that most people in 2026 tend to hate (cooking, cleaning, laundry). Up to her final day, she was still trying to fold sheets and blankets.

When Mary married Ron in 1965, they left Ohio for Utah for Ron’s PhD. From Utah they moved to many states (Florida, Alabama, South Dakota). After Ron’s death, she moved to North Carolina. She liked talking about her experiences in these states, especially South Dakota because who really knows many people that have lived there?

Mary could grow stunning roses and had an amazing garden, all while holding a glass of wine. She really loved a good wine (or even a mediocre or bad wine). She enjoyed experiencing life through the eyes of Andy, Tammy, and Payton. She was incredibly proud when she heard Payton playing classical music on the double bass. She was known to send cards for birthdays, anniversaries, and random holidays. She rooted for Auburn University, but only when they were winning. She read the paper every day, but only focused on the obituaries and the horoscopes. When living in North Carolina she was an avid walker where people routinely saw her walking all over town, much to the displeasure of Tammy. She was potentially the worst at anything technology. Her son-in-law (Brian) often joked she should work for Apple or Microsoft since she could mess up a computer and phone so badly. For her 60th birthday, she went sky diving with her niece (Peg). For her 70th, she got a matching tattoo with Tammy. At 80 years old, she rocked some spiky, hot pink hair.

At the end of her life, she suffered from dementia Alzheimer’s

There will be a private family celebration held for Mary at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to Make-A-Wish Foundation of Central & Western North Carolina. She routinely made monthly donations to Make-A-Wish from 2017 – 2024. The amount she donated was dependent on the number of miles she walked that month.