Mary Jane “Mollie” McGinty left us Thursday, Jan. 24, 2013, after 97 years of a life lived with energy, adventure, generosity and enthusiasm for family and friends.

There was nothing Mollie could not do. At 85 she travelled to China and climbed the Great Wall. A few years later she hiked the Grand Canyon. Mollie taught aerobics at the Venice Senior Friendship Center until she was 93 years of age. Even after 90, she looked like a movie star.

After Mollie graduated from high school, at age 15, she worked on Wall Street as a secretary. Many years later, after raising four children, she graduated from Wagner College in New York City. Mollie worked for the New York City School System in its administration. She was an avid reader, gardener, competitive bridge player and unbeatable scrabble player. She was a member of Epiphany Cathedral, Venice.

Mollie was born May 21, 1915, in New Bedford, Mass., to Lelia and Dudley Thompson. Her early days were spent in Greenwich Village, N.Y.; recently she reminisced about riding in a horse-drawn carriage on cobblestone streets in The Village. She moved to Staten Island, N.Y., and in 1941 married James McGinty; they raised four children. Her greatest joy and source of pride was the success of her children. Her husband, James, died in 1960.

After retirement, Mollie moved into Manhattan and enjoyed the museums and theaters and explored every neighborhood of her beloved city. Mollie walked everywhere. In 1993, she moved to Venice, where she enjoyed the beaches and parks along with her constant companion and loving sister, Lillian.

Mollie is survived by her daughters, Susan Sara (William) of Paris, France, Judith McGinty (Joseph Pokorney) of Venice and Mary Jane McGinty-Underwood of Halifax, Nova Scotia. Her son, Michael McGinty, died in 2008. She is also survived by her sister, Lillian Reilly, of Venice; 11 grandchildren, and 10 great-grandchildren.

Services: Mass will be celebrated for Mollie at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Jan., 29, at Epiphany Cathedral, Venice. A reception for family and friends will follow immediately thereafter at Jacaranda Trace.

Contributions: In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you consider a donation in Mollie’s memory to the Senior Friendship Center, 2350 Scenic Drive, Venice FL 34293.