WATERLOO -- Mary S. Theroith was a living example of the concept of "pay it forward." If someone does something good for you , pass it on to other people.

She was one of the first recipients locally of a Habitat for Humanity house, then encouraged others to get into the program.

She raised five children -- including two sets of twins -- through difficult personal relationships and became an advocate for single parents and victims of domestic violence.

She was taken under the wing of the longtime director of the Martin Luther King Jr. Center, Martha Nash, and succeeded her as director, providing educational opportunities to a new generation of African-Americans and disadvantaged youths.

And by maintaining all her activities while battling cancer, she inspired all whose lives she touched.

Theroith, 48, died Sunday at Covenant Medical Center.

"I kind of consider her my mom, like a cross between a mentor and a mother," said Quentin Hart, associate director of multicultural affairs at Hawkeye Community College. "She touched so many people's lives we probably won't know the full impact she had on people for some time."

"The community may have lost her physically but spiritually, she lives in the hearts of a lot of people in this community," Theroith's daughter, Syreeta, said.

A native of Tchula, Miss., and the oldest of 12 children, Theroith became a teen mother and dropped out of high school. She was living in Chicago with her mother when she visited a cousin in Waterloo and decided to move here to get an education.

After getting her GED from Hawkeye Institute of Technology, now Hawkeye Community College, she received her business certification. While working as a night maid, 19-year-old Mary went to the MLK Center for the "My First Job" program, leading to a job at Waterloo Industries.

Marriage and two sets of twins were followed by a divorce. She quit her job and was hired as a receptionist at the MLK Center, then went back to school for her bachelor's degree. She raised five kids, excelled in her job and stayed on the honor roll.

Betty Jean Furgerson, a former member of the Iowa Board of Regents and the sister of longtime MLK Center Director Martha Nash, said her sister "did a lot of mentoring" of Theroith and pushed her in her work. "She saw Mary had the potential to do a lot. I think she grew a lot from the time she started working there."

In 1995, when the center became part of HCC, and Nash's own health declined, Theroith succeeded her. She continued to use a hands-on approach to motivate teens.

"They used to call me that 'crazy lady in the red car' because I'd stop to talk to kids who I saw just standing around on the street," Theroith said in a 1999 Courier interview. "I'm not afraid to preach to them … I'm that angel on their shoulder, pushing them to succeed."

Theroith was an organizer of the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Dinner in Waterloo, celebrating the history and legacy of the civil rights leader.

"Mary's death is a tremendous loss to the college and to our community," HCC President Greg Schmitz said. "She truly dedicated herself to her family, the Martin Luther King Center, Hawkeye Community College and to the community. The people fortunate to have known Mary will remember her as a person who worked tirelessly to create a celebration of diversity, not just a tolerance for differences."

In her capacity at the MLK Center, Theroith worked with young women and single parents in bad situations, trying to teach them self sufficiency -- at the same time, on a personal level, making sure her former husband had a place in their children's lives.

"We divorced each other, not the children," she said.

In 2000, she received the Sunshine Peace Award from the Sunshine Lady Foundation for aid to victims of domestic abuse, established by billionaire investor Warren Buffet's sister. She also was named Waterloo radio station KBBG's Parent of the Year in 2002 and Citizen of the Year in 2003.

Theroith's pastor, Rev. Joseph Baring of Payne AME Church, said, "She was a good, spirited young lady. She was strong. Her health was not what she would have it be, but she kept functioning. She was really concentrating on not only her community, but her children and their well being. It's a tragedy at 48 years old the graces she had were cut short, we weren't able to use all she had, but she did wonderful work."

One of Theroith's graces was a winning smile.

"I like smiling because it's the universal language," she once said. "I've got a little light, and I like to let it shine on everyone around me."

Contact Pat Kinney at (319) 291-1484 or pat.kinney@wcfcourier.com.