After graduation in 1961 I spent a carefree summer with my friends at Huntington Beach and prepared for college. I started Citrus College that fall, majoring in Business and Psychology and graduated with an Associate Degree in 1963.
Christmas of 1962 I met the man who would become my husband, Gary Filer. Gary moved to Covina from Michigan and had attended Northview High School. We first met at the A&W in Azusa and by September 1963 were married. Our first residence was located on McKeever Avenue in Azusa and our second, on First & Vernon.
In 1964 we welcomed our first son, Gary II while I was attending Cal State LA. I graduated in 1965 with a BA and settled into being a mom and wife.
By 1966 we bought our first home and moved to Covina. At that same time we started our own business, Optico Glass Fabrication in San Dimas. We kept busy with the business and welcomed another son, Matthew, in 1968. And in 1972 we were blessed with a daughter, Lisa Michelle.
I worked as a bookkeeper for our business and watched it grow to become one of the 
nation’s highest-rated West Coast precision optical companies. During those years we
couldn’t get away from Optico for extended vacations, so we joined a camping club and were then able to take the kids away on weekends. It was a great time and good solution to our problem. The “kids” still talk about those fun camping trips in the motorhome.
In 1977 we decided to move to Massachusetts where Gary would build and run United Lens in Southbridge. While Gary was busy with United Lens, I started working for Hyde Manufacturing Company, which makes knives and Stanley tools.
We bought a beautiful home on rural Old Farm Road in Sturbridge, just in time for the big blizzard of ’78 that left us stranded indoors for four days. It was a much different life than what I was used to in California.
The country life turned out to be ideal for our family of five. The kids loved the snow and the abundance of lakes and rivers. They attended regional schools just a half hour from home. We especially liked the access to all of the New England states. We could visit seven states in one day. And Boston was a great teaching tool—Quincy Market, Faneuil Hall, The Old North Church and The Freedom Trail. Our favorite destination was Cape Cod, which was only an hour away from Sturbridge. From Cape Cod we could take the ferry to Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket.
Massachusetts L-R: Lisa, Matthew, Gary II, Mary & Gary Filer
You just never know what life will bring. Gary died suddenly in 1980 while deer hunting in Maine. After he passed away I went back to school and in 1982 earned a BA degree in Business Administration from UMass Boston. Since I still had three children to support the business degree really helped boost my resume.
During the summer of 1985 we decided, as a family, to move back to California. Fortunately, we had not sold our house in Covina, so the kids and I had a nice home to return to. My older son stayed in New Hampshire where he had been living and working. The two youngest children wanted to go back to California, but didn’t care to make the long drive with me, so they flew to California and stayed with family and friends. I ended up traveling alone with my two dogs, while towing a 5’ x 8’ trailer that contained our clothes, pictures, etc.—anything that would fit. The rest of our belongings and furnishings were sold to help fund the move.
AAA had mapped out the northern route for me so that I could see Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse, the Badlands, Yellowstone, the Madonna Inn and Big Sur on the beautiful California coast. The only time I was scared was when I was driving the hills in Yellowstone at dusk and the buffalo were running across the road. It was tough stopping with the trailer behind me.
When I stopped in Yellowstone for the night, there seemed to be only one option for lodging—a romantic cabin in the woods. It had a fireplace, a rustic wooden porch swing and a view of the lake—perfect for a couple. It was the only time on the trip that I felt sad.
I still had my dad and sister and best friends in Azusa and Covina, who were all anxious for us to come home. Moving back to Covina would be an easy transition with our extended family and friends.
When I think back to that trip and the alone time on the road, I’m surprised that I was so brave. I was a woman on a mission to provide family and stability for my children.
The new chapter in our lives was exciting. I was able to land a job right away, thanks to my business degree. In 1987, with my children settled and my employment stable, I decided to “get out of the house”. I saw an article in the San Gabriel Valley Tribune titled “Checkmate”—a way to meet people (sort of like computer dating today). The dating service had separate catalogs for men and women, complete with bios and all of the information needed to meet someone you might be interested in. You actually had to prove by documents that you were single—not a bad idea for today’s singles.
I signed up and received my first catalog of men. The instructions were to call a person you might be interested in meeting (there were no photos) and make a date to meet for coffee. I called three men and met each of them—all were very nice. I had crossed Ed O’Flynn off my list as he was so much younger than I (15 years). Ed, however, called me because I was tall and liked country music and the ocean.
We met at Stuart Anderson’s in Azusa. The attraction was immediate for both of us and we never looked any further. After dating for a wonderful year, one day he showed up at my workplace in the City of Industry and asked me to marry him. He proposed in the parking lot with all of my coworkers watching through the windows. It was like a fairytale. He presented me with a stunning 3-carat diamond engagement ring. I said yes and we started planning our wedding.
On March 4, 1989 Ed and I were married in Long Beach aboard the Queen Mary in the beautiful Royal Wedding Chapel. We were honored that so many of our Massachusetts friends were in attendance, as well as my California friends and classmates.
Mr. & Mrs. Edward O’Flynn Edward O’Flynn & Mary Eagle O’Flynn
March 4, 1989 Anniversary photo
We spent the next two weeks aboard the Nordic Prince, visiting the Caribbean Islands– a wedding gift from Ed’s mom and dad. After the wedding we lived in my house in Covina and sold his house in Hacienda Heights.
In 1990 we bought a big house in Chino Hills (we still had two teenagers at home) and have been here ever since. We love The Hills. The kids have all moved on and have families of their own. Gary II has one son, Gary III, who is now 12. Matthew has three children, Matthew II, 21, Justin, 11 and Andrew, 7. Lisa has one son, Jacob, who is 11.
Over the years Ed and I have traveled extensively. We cruised to Alaska twice and cruised back to the Caribbean three more times. Nine years ago we bought a condo on Maui and spend two weeks there every summer. Ed has a few more years to work and then we will probably retire there. The only thing still on my bucket list was Graceland, so Ed surprised me with a trip to Memphis and Nashville two years ago—my favorite trip of all time.
Mary & Ed – Maui Ed O’Flynn with grandson – Maui
Again, you never know—just as well I suppose because three years ago I lost a kidney to cancer and then less than two years ago I beat colon cancer. I have been blessed. Ed was there for me, taking time off work and staying in my hospital room, only leaving my side if one of my children could be with me. When I was released from the hospital and Ed had to go back to work, my son, Matthew, took time off from his job to take care of me at home. Thankfully Ed, our children and grandchildren have been healthy.
I have never taken lightly how blessed I am to have been given the chance to be happily married again. Ed and I will be married 27 years March 4 this year.
Mary & Ed’s Grandchildren
On February 15, 2014, I was carrying an empty box from the upstairs bedroom to the garage. Only one step down into the garage, but I managed to land partially on the doormat and partially off. I lost my balance and on the way down, heard bones snap. I had to “army crawl” on my side approximately 18 feet to get to the phone. The EMTs were magnificent, putting a splint on my leg, loading me into an ambulance, and taking me to Palomar Medical Center in Escondido. X-rays showed that my right leg was broken in three places, my tibia just below my knee and my fibula below my knee and a second break about 3 inches above my ankle, leaving about 8 inches of bone unattached. I also had a broken left ankle and 3 cracked ribs. The Orthopedic Trauma specialist and I decided that surgery was not a great option for me, so I was placed in a cast from my toes to my hip with an orthopedic boot on my left leg.
Azusa High 1961 Blog 