Mary Ann Bacon

Bacon—Mary Ann Bacon, 66, on May 4, 2020, of brain cancer at her home in Medford, N.J. Born in Chalfont, Pa., on September 5, 1953, Mary Ann was the fourth of six children of Francis and Julia A. Bacon. Her early years were spent in Mount Holly, N.J. When her family moved to Pennsylvania, Mary Ann attended Westtown School near West Chester, Pa., and later earned a bachelor’s in nursing and accreditation as a licensed registered nurse. Mary Ann earned two master’s degrees, one in nursing and the other as a master gardener. She was the school nurse at Rancocas Valley Regional High School in Mount Holly for most of her career.

In 1985, Mary Ann met and married Steve Edgerton, the director of Camp Dark Waters in Medford, N.J., where Mary Ann was serving as the camp nurse. Friends remember her as having confidence in the power of love, combined with a practical no-nonsense approach as she served as “First Lady of Camp Dark Waters.” She filled in wherever and whenever she was needed, and knew which campers could use extra attention. Mary Ann and Steve lived in a house across the river from the camp for the remainder of their lives.

Mary Ann added an energetic practicality to Medford (N.J.) Meeting. She was respected for her equanimity and lively spirit. She was a member of the Ministry and Counsel Committee, and actively participated in the meeting’s outreach program, Quaker Quest. As a member of the Social Committee, Mary Ann took special pleasure in serving Easter breakfast. Mary Ann taught First-day school when her daughter, Alice, was young. Friends remember Mary Ann dressing toddler Alice in the smocked dresses she had worn as a child.

Mary Ann’s service went well beyond Medford Meeting and Camp Dark Waters. She had a longtime interest in the development of the John Woolman Memorial in Mount Holly, and was a member of the Religious Education Committee of Moorestown Friends School, where Alice had been a student. Mary Ann was active in the New Jersey State School Nurses Association, serving as president for one term.

Mary Ann died one month after her daughter, Alice Edgerton, died of cancer at the age of 34. Her husband, Steve Edgerton, died five years earlier, and her sister, Rachel Bacon Bull, four years earlier. Nevertheless, Mary Ann continued to live as a caring, plain spoken, unassuming Friend of fierce determination and resilience who modified her strong opinions with skeptical laughter. During her last year, Mary Ann’s sisters, cousins, and many friends provided her with the care she had spent her life giving to others.