Mary Jocelyn Dougherty
Mary Jocelyn Dougherty, also known affectionately as Joss, our cherished sister and aunt, died peacefully in her sleep September 5, 2018.
Born October 10, 1934, Joss is survived by her brother, John Dennis Dougherty, MD., of Leonia, NJ. She is pre-deceased by her adoring husband, Fred Herzig, MD., and her parents Helen Olson and Arthur McIntyre Dougherty, MD., of Spokane, Washington and Minnesota respectively.
Joss was an incredible student and excelled in everything she did. She was a high school graduate of Notre Dame de Sion in Kansas City, and then went on to the University of Kansas where she was a member of the Pi Beta Phi Fraternity. She graduated in 1956 in the top 10% of her class.
After college, Joss traveled to Europe and got a job writing for The Overseas Weekly, a popular newspaper published for the United States Military. After a few years in Europe, Joss returned and started writing for The Kansas City Star. She did all these jobs well but felt it was not her career choice. She wanted to be a doctor. Her father always told her she must not “take the place of a male student,” but she persevered. She continued to write for The Kansas City Star while going to night classes for her medical prerequisites. This took another year or two but she finished and was the first woman ever admitted to the KU Medical School. After getting her Medical degree from KU Medical School, she went on to do her internship at Columbia University Medical Center in New York City and where she received her specialty degree in Neurology. She began her successful Neurology practice in California.
When Joss retired from her medical practice, she began to travel often to Paris, sometimes going twice a year and most recently taking her whole family there this past April. She spoke French well from her training by the nuns at Notre Dame de Sion during high school.
For pure enjoyment she played classical piano, taking lessons from a former teacher of Franz Liszt’s original teacher in Hungary. She played only for herself but could easily have been a concert pianist. Her family and friends enjoy her many classical recordings that she produced late in her life. We shall keep an image of Jocelyn swirling those piano keys, eyes closed in a beatific trance knowing she is playing for the angels in HEAVEN.
A private family memorial service will be held in Newport Beach, California on Saturday, October 20th where Joss has lived and enjoyed her family and friends for the last 40 years.