Mary Elise Hagins

Mary Hagins passed away in her sleep at home on February 11, 2023. She was a 20 year old college student. She leaves behind her parents, Angela and Jason Hagins, her sister Anne Hagins, her grandparents Santina Maxwell and Ross and Bette Hagins, and her aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends.

But she gave us a joy of life that was extraordinarily contagious. She gave us each a sense that we mattered, not just to her but in this world. She made us laugh and feel safe and better all at once. She set the example of what persistence could bring us, once praying daily for 19 months to St. Anthony to bring her lost dog back. (Of course, the dog returned.) She gave us respite from the pressures of society through her silly goose antics. She stood for those who were excluded, not by standing against anyone, but by befriending the ones excluded. And because of her warmth, her independence, and her humor, we began to include the excluded, too.

She lived the way some people eat ribs. The way "she" ate ribs. If there was a challenge to be met, she met it - whether it was a swim time, a reading or eating competition, or a ridiculous number of stairs to climb. Winning wasn't about trophies or the acclaim. It was because she could. There are things we need to do in this life for no other reason than because we can. Mary showed us that.

But not all things that we can do, we should do, And Mary, as many young people do, made mistakes. Her overactive brain often had trouble settling into sleep, and as Mary got older, she began experimenting with ways to get it to settle down. Rather than talk to adults for help, she looked to friends and peers who led her to a one in a million pill that took her from us.

Mary would ask that you make sure that her love of animals, particularly dogs, continues in this world. Please make donations to the Hollister Animal Shelter or Pet Friends & Rescue in lieu of flowers. She would also ask that you be sure to talk to each other today, give your smile to someone who doesn't have one, and take home as many dogs as possible.

We will celebrate her life on Saturday, February 25, 2023 at 12:00pm at Sacred Heart Church in Hollister.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.LimaFamilyEricksonMemorial.com for the Hagins family.