STRAUB

MARY HOPE (KIRK)

Mary Hope (Kirk) Straub, died peacefully on May 5, 2026. She was born in Pittsburgh, PA on December 19, 1941. The daughter of the late William A. Kirk and the late Mary C. (Pitacciato) Kirk, she grew up as part of both a large, vivacious Italian family, and a small, quiet Irish family. Mary Hope was a proud graduate of Sacred Heart High School and Seton Hill College, which were both all-female schools at the time. Her husband, Raymond Straub, attended nearby St. Vincent's College (which was all male). The first time these two met, Ray turned to his friend and said, "That is the woman I'm going to marry." Ray and Mary Hope enjoyed 54 years of marriage.

Prior to her marriage in 1965, Mary Hope taught French in the Knoxville neighborhood of Pittsburgh. Mary Hope was a full time homemaker and mother for many years. Once her youngest child was in high school, Mary Hope resumed teaching at Seaton La Salle High School, and also earned her Master's degree in French from the University of Pittsburgh.

In each stage of their lives, Ray and Mary Hope easily added to their collection of very good friends. Mary Hope will be missed by people who have known her since childhood, people she met recently in the Friendship Village retirement community, and people from every place she lived in between. Ray and Mary Hope's life together was rich with an abundance of love and laughter. They enjoyed their family and friends informally at home or in the neighborhood, out on the town, throwing parties, dancing, and/or travelling. Good food, good friends, and much laughter were always involved.

Mary Hope is predeceased by her husband, Raymond J. Straub and her beloved sister, Carol A. Kirk. She is survived by her three children, John Straub, of Hyattsville, MD, Kathleen [Jeff] McAuslin, of Florence, MA, and Mark Straub of Bethel Park, PA; and her five grandchildren, Joelle, Drew and Noah McAuslin, and Olivia and Emma Straub.

Calling hours will be 2:00-4:00 and 6:00-8:00 on Monday, May 11th at the BEINHAUER FUNERAL HOME, 2828 Washington Pike (Rte 19 South), McMurray, PA. Mass of Christian Burial at 10:00 AM on Tuesday, May 12, at St. Benedict the Abbot Catholic Church, 120 Abington Drive, McMurray, PA. Those who wish to make a charitable contribution in lieu of flowers can do so in Mary Hope's name to the American Cancer Society, www.cancer.org.