Mary Shibley

Mary Shibley was raised in a Presbyterian church in the community of Springwater, Oregon, south of Estacada – the church where her great-grandmother was a founding member. She attended Presbyterian churches during college at the University of Oregon and participated in the campus ministry, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship.

After graduating from the U of O, Mary worked at an insurance brokerage. In the mid-1980’s, she was looking for adventure and taught English as a second language for two years in Beijing, China – a transformative experience with a close-knit teaching team of Christians living on a university campus. After returning from China and completing graduate school at Portland State University, she worked in Human Resources at Legacy Health System for 31 years, retiring in 2022.

Trinity has been Mary's faith community since late 1980, when her first roommate after college attended – she had a car, so Mary came along!  Early involvement at Trinity included co-leading high school and grade school classes and facilitating an adult Sunday morning lectionary class. Mary volunteered with the (now closed) Bookstore, chaired the Bookstore Commission and chaired the Arts Commission. She has been a delegate to Diocesan Convention and served a three-year term as President of the Columbia Convocation. She has served on previous Vestries at Trinity under former Deans Anthony (Bud) Thurston and William (Bill) Lupfer.

Mary was confirmed in1982 and re-affirmed in 2022. Through EfM (Education for Ministry), a 4-year theological program mentored by former Canon for Education Mary Sicilia in the 1990’s, she learned that administration is a legitimate form of ministry!

In 2008, Mary and former Junior Warden Dale Voeller were married at Trinity – a joyful celebration surrounded by their large extended families and the Trinity community! They attend the 10:00 am service, where Mary is a lector and host. On Wednesday evenings, she finds connection with others through the Eucharist service, dinner, and classes – it’s like being fed three different ways. She has been a member of the Benedictine Cornerstone Community since 2005. Oh, and quite a few Trinity artists are represented throughout Mary & Dale's home – daily reminders of their faith community.

In her new role as Senior Warden, Mary would love to get to know you better and discover together ways you may want to participate more fully here at Trinity – to engage more deeply in the life of this community, to use your interests or abilities in ways that bring you joy, and to deepen your own faith practices.