Marybeth “Birdie” McGuire entered into this world on July 27, 1936 and began to blossom into a woman who was later nicknamed “Birdie”. Birdie was a lover of music from a very young age, her parents said that she could sing her ABCs at the age of three much more accurately than she could recite them. In her adolescent years Birdie developed a love for gardening and was fascinated by the beauty of flowers.

While many individuals grow up playing sports, Marybeth found joy in her parent’s backyard where she planted her very first garden. Mrs. Judy was Marybeth’s elderly neighbor with a large garden of flowers and vegetables. Mrs. Judy took Marybeth under her wing and taught her a lot about gardening and shared many of her seedlings and bulbs with Marybeth.

Birdie, graduated from The University of Illinois’s College of Fine Arts with a Degree in Music Education. She went on to be a middle school music teacher for over 30 years. She met her beloved Johnathan while in college and they shared an amazing life together with their children, Sandra, Molly, Jonathan Jr. and Raymond. Birdie spent most of her spare time in her garden and with her family. As proud grandparents of seven, Birdie and Jonathan spent time attending their grandchildren’s sporting events, preparing big Sunday family dinners and socializing with their close knit circle of friends.

Birdie was a nurturing spirit with a positive outlook on life and truly cared deeply for others. She loved her family and her garden and would always say “Hope grows where flowers bloom”.