Obituary: Mae Conroy Tomyn

Mae Conroy Tomyn — Teacher … Coach … Horse Enthusiast … Real Estate Broker … Cat Lady … and Wanna-Be Beach Bum — took her last breath on this earth on Aug. 19, 2020, just a few days after her 95th birthday. 

Mae was born Aug. 16, 1925, at Orange Memorial Hospital in Orlando. She grew up with her parents, Oliver and Agnes, and her two older brothers, Jack and Frank, on a 100-acre citrus farm that fronted on Conroy Road and ended at Turkey Lake, where they often fished and swam. Trying to keep up with her brothers cost Mae her two front teeth at an early age when they dared her to ride a “bucking barrel” in the lake.

Mae graduated from Ocoee High School and then went on to Florida Southern College to get her degree in Education. During her time at college, it was common for friends to spend weekends at Vero Beach, staying with Uncle Waldo at his small, eclectic beach cottage and guest house, which today is the famous and historical Driftwood Inn.

Upon college graduation in 1947, Mae returned to Ocoee to assume her first teaching position as the Girl’s Physical Education Teacher and Basketball Coach. On June 16, 1951, she married John Tomyn, whose family immigrated from Horodenka, Ukraine, and Saskatchewan, Canada, and also grew up on a citrus farm in West Orange County. She wore a ballerina-length gown of lace and carried a bouquet of purple orchids…perhaps foretelling her future connection to a family florist business owned by her oldest daughter many years later. 

That daughter, Rilla, came into the world in August 1953. Not following closely behind was Libby, born in the middle of Hurricane Donna in 1960.

Mae spent several years working as a real estate broker while obtaining her master’s degree and teaching certificate in order to open greater teaching opportunities for herself. Her teaching career spanned 25 years and included the original Ocoee High School, Dillard Street Elementary and Spring Lake Elementary, where she specialized in remedial reading in her state-of-the-art reading lab (for which both daughters served as guinea pigs).

Once she retired from teaching, Mae returned to real estate and joined forces with several professional friends to form Orange World Realty. She also later had her own firm called The Real Estate Emporium and worked with Century 21 Professional Group under the leadership of Milton West. Her real estate career was inherited by Libby in the early 2000s when Mae decided to be a full-time Grandma.

During the time that Rilla and Libby were growing up, the entire family realized their love of horses and the tribe grew and grew … and grew. Mae loved trail rides with her girls on her Palomino horse, Sandy. 

In the early 1970s the family bought 20 acres just north of the Clarcona Horsemen’s Park which became Sky T Stable and the home of the Dirty Jeans 4-H Club.  In the nearly 50 years since, literally hundreds of young people have learned responsibility, confidence, leadership, citizenship and horsemanship as a result and are ingratiated to John and Mae Tomyn for their investment in youth. 

The 4-H Club is still alive and well at its original home and has expanded into archery training under the leadership of Mae’s son-in-law, William Maxwell.

In her last 20 years, Mae lived a relatively quiet life, travelling some with family, enjoying dining out and doting on her only grandson, Zach. She survived eight years with Alzheimer’s but still tried to read books and magazines (as reading was one of her passions) until the last few months of her life. She was surrounded by amazing caregivers that loved her as their own right up until her death.

Mae is survived by her daughters, Rilla (Betty J’s Florist) and Libby (William Maxwell); as well as grandson Zach; niece, Jackie Summerlin; nephews, Seton Tomyn (Marcie) and George Tomyn (Barbara); as well as numerous great-nieces and nephews and great-great-nieces and nephews.

Following services at Woodlawn at 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 29, 2020, the family will continue the celebration of Mae’s life at a reception at Betty J’s Florist. 

The family encourages donations to the Alzheimer’s and Dementia Resource Center, a local educational and support organization that provides free education, and which also served as the family’s lifeline throughout Mae’s journey with Alzheimer’s.