Mary Kay Parkinson

Mary Kay Parkinson passed away at her home in Silver Spring, Maryland, on January 17, 2025.  She was 64.

She was born in West Memphis Arkansas to Pete and Wanda Parkinson on July 5, 1960, and grew up in Mt. Prospect Illinois. She came to Washington, DC in 1981 with a commitment to improving the lives of others. After nine years of living in an intentional community in Mt. Pleasant she and her husband, Ken, and small son, Nathan, moved to Silver Spring, MD.  She was a graduate of the University of Illinois, the Barbara Brennan School of Healing, and the Potomac Massage Training Institute.  In Silver Spring, she practiced as a therapist with a specialization in highly sensitive people in both group and individual contexts for over 30 years. 

Her career was emblematic of her character and friendships: She was loved for her ability to really “see” a person. When Mary Kay asked you how you were, you knew she really wanted to know. She touched countless lives with her kindness and compassion, offering guidance and care to those in need. This care for others was a hallmark of her career and a testament to her generous spirit. Always deeply spiritual, Mary Kay was a practitioner of Tibetan Buddhism.  She was also a leader, serving as the co-facilitator of the DC Sangha of Tara Mandala since its inception in 2018, when Lama Tsultrim came to DC to visit. 

In the last chapter of her life, Mary Kay found immense joy in her spiritual community (Dakinis), hospice singing (Threshold Choir), and dancing (Sacred Circle Dance). These passions brought light and energy not only to her own life but also to those who shared in these moments with her. Her love for spiritual development, singing and movement reflected the vibrancy with which she approached life. Those in these circles also talk about how welcoming she was and how she helped strengthen them through her sense of the energetic flow of the group and her vision for their future. 

She is survived by her husband of 38 years, Ken Maton of Silver Spring; her sons Nathan Maton of the San Francisco Bay area and his wife Jane Huston, and Tyler Maton of Silver Spring; her siblings Carol and Olivia Parkinson of the Bay area, Paul Parkinson of Portland Oregon, and Suzanne Sevilla of Lakeland Tennessee, and her mother, Wanda Shirey, also of Lakeland, Tennessee; and many close and cherished friends. She was preceded in death by her father, Pete Parkinson.

We rejoice in the full life she had with us!   Her memory will endure in the hearts of all those who had the privilege of knowing her. Her legacy of kindness, joy, and mindfulness will continue to inspire those she leaves behind and who now grieve her loss.

Mary Kay loved springtime, and a memorial service in her honor is being planned for May, 2025.

In lieu of flowers, mourners may donate in her memory to the organizations associated with the three (local) groups near and dear to her heart: 

Tara Mandala (Dakinis), https://www.taramandala.org/giving/ways-to-give-landing-page/

Threshold Choir (DC), https://thresholdchoir.org/webform/making-donation/ 

Micah House (a shelter for dedicated homeless women who are helped to return to life which is supported by the Sacred Circle Dance community), https://templemicah.shulcloud.com/form/donations.html  (click on Donations, and then when you reach Donation1 use the drop-down menu and scroll down and click on Micah House).