Marigrace Heyer Parfitt was a woman of the world.

She loved life, traveling and family.

On Wednesday, the 86-year-old former lifestyle editor of the Times News passed away peacefully, surrounded by her family.

The Summit Hill woman was a force in the newspaper industry, beginning her career with the Times News in the late 1960s and working her way up from page makeup pasting stories on page before it went to press to the lifestyle editor, a position she held until retiring in September 2006.

“Marigrace was the ultimate social editor when it was still ‘a thing’ reporting on events in the community and going out to take photos of events and gatherings,” said Marta Gouger, editor of the Times News. “She was always pleasant and patient, though she had to get up at 4 a.m. to get ready for work.

“Marigrace looked for events beyond Carbon County that would be of interest to readers, including giving her insight on fashion shows, makeup and Miss America.

“I was a young reporter in the ’80s and she included me in stories. My favorite was when she took me with her to see Sophia Loren at Hess’s Department Store. Sophia was there to promote a new perfume line. Marigrace took me along although she certainly could have handled it herself. I was the ‘photographer’ and that photo is still my favorite after all these years.

“As the job evolved, so did she,” Gouger continued. “She looked for features that would captivate readers’ interest. One of her favorites (and mine) was readers submitting ghost stories. Who doesn’t love a good ghost story?

“She lived the lifestyle editor role, always looking like she stepped out a fashion magazine. She also looked ‘together’ whether it was a dressy outfit or casual jeans and sneakers.”

Marigrace, or Gracie as she was known by her husband, Bob Parfitt, both were pillars in the newspaper circles, with Bob also committing his career to the Times News.

She was always up for writing a good story, whether it be on fashion, art or the good ol’ fashioned ghost story, and won many state awards for her creative style of writing.

“In a newsroom that most times was filled with men, and where discussion most times centered on sports, or ‘guy’s talk,’ Marigrace was often overmatched, and sometimes took a good ribbing for that. But she always held her own,” said longtime coworker and friend Bill O’Gurek. “More than that, she had a great good-natured disposition that showed all of us how much she cared about us as coworkers and friends through many years of working together.

“She and Bobby were ‘family’ to all of us and we shared many happy times, and, unfortunately, grieved together at times, through decades.

“And as a news reporter, Marigrace was also always on top of her game. Her hard work showed many times as she became a statewide award-winner in the profession. She passed on her strong work ethic to all of us and without a doubt was a valued coworker to all of us who always helped make the paper successful.”

In her early years, Marigrace strived to be the star of the spotlight.

She interned with Lakewood Playhouse, working with actors and actresses and even performing in a few shows.

She later traveled to New York, where she lived in a convent, while modeling for various clothing companies.

But it was her hometown roots that brought her back to the Carbon County area, settling down next to her mother in the White Bear section of Summit Hill, a home she and Bob still lived in until her passing. She raised two children and loved her grandchildren.

Marigrace loved to travel, with her favorite destination being Greece; and was always “hot to trot” and ready for a fun time out on the town.

She served as an extra on the Molly Maguires movie with Sean Connery, and met countless actors and artists, some of whom became her longtime friends.

She was smart, kind and dressed to the nines, but also had a sense of humor unlike any other. She was the practical joker, the dancer and the food connoisseur.

She was my mentor here, taking me under her wing when I began my journalism career as an intern in 2004.

“She was my mentor, my partner in crime, my confidante, and most importantly, my friend,” I wrote in 2006 following her retirement.

Her Times News family all agree, that she helped form who we are, how we tell your stories and what it means to have a local reporter immersed in the community.

“I always enjoyed working here,” Marigrace said in an article regarding her retirement in 2006. “There was always something fresh ... something new. It’s an interesting job; it’s a fun job. I’ve made many friends in the area.”

Marigrace was truly one-of-a-kind.

Her complete obituary can be found on page 4.