Marilyn McCabe was described as the ‘heart and soul’ of the large McCabe family, the ‘light of the family’ and the ‘glue’ that held everyone together. She passed away May 20, yet who would have guessed that when she was born with Down syndrome in 1970, the youngest of seven children of Jim and Mary Kay McCabe, that she would change all of their lives, for the better.
Marilyn, lying across the laps of her father and brother
Marilyn was 54 when she died, but she packed a lifetime of accomplishments into her five plus decades. Her family encouraged her to participate in Special Olympics, from the time she was 3, and she blossomed with the many sports she played, the competition and the teammates she met.
Her older sister, Jeanne Borta, explains that Marilyn was a natural competitor. Her father, Jim McCabe, had played basketball under legendary Coach Ray Meyer at De Paul and her brother, John McCabe, played football at Notre Dame. In addition, several nephews played football, baseball and hockey in college.
“Marilyn was a natural competitor; she insisted on playing with anyone and everyone,” Jeanne Borta says. “She was very confident in her ability to play well and she did just that. She loved the camaraderie of being on a team, having fun and the friends she made.”
Marilyn demonstrates her ‘power leg’ in soccer
She grew into a proficient basketball, soccer and volleyball athlete, her family says. Her proudest moment came when she was selected to play on the USA Soccer Team in the 1999 World Special Olympic Games. The games took place in Raleigh, North Carolina and drew 150 nations to participate and more than 7,000 athletes. Comedian Billy Crystal and singer Stevie Wonder opened the games.
“Marilyn had a self-proclaimed secret weapon, ‘her power leg,’ ” her sister says. “Her team won the gold and Marilyn scored in several of the international games. Our parents, Jim and Mary Kay, traveled with Marilyn and the team on a private jet to the games.”
While growing up, Marilyn attended Kirk School in Palatine, graduating in 1992. As part of the school’s work program, Marilyn began working in 1990 as a bagger at the Jewel on Euclid Avenue in Mount Prospect, where she would remain a loyal employee for the next 25 years.
Marilyn, center, on the medal podium at the World Special Olympic Games
Beyond bagging groceries efficiently, Marilyn was something of a goodwill ambassador for the store.
“She loved doing her job independently — and interacting with customers,” her sister, Jeanne, says. “We all had many friends say they always waited to go in Marilyn’s line to have a quick chat and receive one of Marilyn’s famous smiles and hug combinations.”
Her outgoing personality was contagious at her church as well. At Our Lady of the Wayside Parish, Marilyn would eagerly wait to give the priest a high-five or a hug as he recessed out of church, an act of enthusiasm not lost on her fellow parishioners.
Marilyn celebrating 20 years of service at the Jewel in Mount Prospect
“She was very socially confident and emotionally in tune with other people; she knew when someone needed a smile, a hug, a compliment or a witty comment,” her sister adds. “She thought her ‘power leg’ was her gift, but her true gift was how she interacted with others; however short, she always made people feel good.”
Simply put, her family says, Marilyn spread joy and it was a life lesson they will never forget. Her brother, John, summed it up this way in his eulogy: “Marilyn taught us what was really important in life: family, how to love unconditionally, how to be joyful every day, never sweat the small stuff, be happy for life as it is, be grateful for everything God has given you in your life, and to cherish happiness and family.”
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