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Mary Jane Sollenberger Arnold, 94, passed away on July 1, 2026. Mary Jane had a zest for life with many and varied passions from her home and family to causes she believed in. People who got to know her remarked on her elegance, grace, and even-temperedness, and quickly grasped her underlying strength and determination. Early in life, she earned the nickname Spitfire--a moniker that proved to be an apt reflection of how she handled the challenges of her long life.
Mary Jane was born and raised in Donegal Springs, Lancaster County, PA. Throughout her school years, she excelled academically and pursued her theatrical interests, starring in several plays. She also played the drums in the East Donegal High School band. Following high school, she attended the Lancaster General Hospital School of Nursing, then leaving to devote time to raising her children.
In 1970, Mary Jane was hired by the state of Pennsylvania's BLaST Intermediate Unit 17 as a teacher's aide for mentally and physically handicapped children. Some 12 years later Mary Jane learned that a recently hired male teacher's aide was earning more money for a "substantially equal" job than she and her female colleagues, all of whom had longer tenure. She took action. She organized a group of her fellow aides and found attorney, Clifford Rieders, who then filed a class action lawsuit in 1983 on the group's behalf. The women opted for and were granted a jury trial rather than submitting to a judicial decision. The jury of 10 men and 2 women found for the plaintiffs and awarded them an amount of money representing the past pay differential. After the verdict, several of the male jurors stated that they would never want their wives or daughters treated the way the Arnold plaintiffs were treated.
Attorney Cliff Rieders commented, "How quickly we forget that individuals make a difference. Mary Jane Arnold changed the rules for all women in the United States who do substantially equal work but frequently were paid less than their male counterpartsӅTo last through the many weeks of the trial "and to sustain two appeals to the nation's second highest court was asking for more strength and conviction than most people have. Mary Jane Arnold was a trailblazer."
In 1988, in the final appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, the court found in favor of the women, forcing BLaST to adjust the salary differential and setting a legal precedent still cited today in similar lawsuits.
Over the course of her life, Mary Jane made many moves--some from state to state--in support of her husband's education and career. She frequently touted the fact that she has packed up and relocated 17 times. The other "moving" that she did and spoke fondly of was her world travel, often in support of her daughters whose fellowships and jobs took them far and wide, including Asia, Europe, Latin America (including Cuba before it was open to Americans), and across Siberia during the last days of the former USSR (Soviet Union). She traveled to Austria and then Japan to take anthropology courses taught by her daughter, Marlene. Always the intrepid adventurer and supportive mother, Mary Jane lived with Marlene for four months in a mountain village in Crete. At age 84, she spent one of three weeks in Greece aboard a sailboat that required navigating a tiny gangplank--something she tackled with her usual grit.
No matter where Mary Jane lived and what family commitments she had, she easily made friends and actively engaged with each community, volunteering her time and sharing her talents. Her longest residence was in Williamsport, PA where she moved when her husband, Merle Arnold, was called to serve as the pastor of Lycoming Presbyterian Church in 1963. Their commitment to the area was further strengthened in 1969 when Merle became the Executive Director of the Society for Retarded Children (School of Hope). In addition to running the school, the Board of Directors charged him with expanding services to include both residential and industrial/vocational components. This led to his also becoming the head of Enterprises for the Handicapped, which was incorporated in 1970. The two organizations later merged to become Hope Enterprises, Inc. under Merle's leadership. As noted in the a newsletter commemorating "Hope's 35 Years of Service": During his 19 years with the organization, Merle "led a small community agency for the mentally retarded into a multi-corporate non-profit human services provider for over 500 men, women and children in three counties in Pennsylvania." (Jill K. Wollet). Mary Jane was there supporting him every step of the way.
During her long tenure in Williamsport, Mary Jane also served many community organizations including the Lycoming County Historical Society & Taber Museum (Board Member and Vice President), Victorian Christmas Committee, United Way (Residential Chair), Lycoming County Advisory Board of Children and Youth, Friend of the Court, the Florence Crittendon Home (Chair of the Junior Board), YWCA (Board Member and Vice President), The League of Women Voters, and the PTA.
Three years ago, Mary Jane returned to Lancaster County to live, residing at Homestead Village until her death. It was not the first time Homestead had touched her life. For six months in 1985-1986, Merle served as the Executive Director of Homestead. He was brought in to help the organization regain solvency, and during his time there he successfully oversaw the construction of Phase I of The Apartments.
Mary Jane is predeceased by her son, Mervin Scott Arnold and her parents, Elizabeth Sherer Sollenberger and Witmer Grant Sollenberger. She is survived by her two daughters, Victoria J. Arnold, Brookline, MA and Marlene S. Arnold, Lancaster, PA; grandchildren, Matthew Arnold-Grodski, Dominican Republic, Meryl Arnold Miller and husband Tim Miller, Brooklyn, NY, Mervyn Arnold-Lyons, San Francisco, CA; and great grandchild, Charlie Miller, Brooklyn, NY.
A graveside memorial service will be held at Wildwood Cemetery, 91 Cemetery Street, Williamsport, PA at Noon on Monday, October 12, 2026. For those attending: please meet at the cemetery office where a staff member will guide you to the gravesite.
For anyone wishing to honor Mary Jane, the family asks that you make a donation to the Thomas T. Taber Museum. (https://tabermuseum.org/support-mission)