RACINE - For most of her adult life, Mary Neu quietly gave all of herself to the Racine community. For more than 30 years she spent her days teaching Racine children and the rest of her free time she spent immersed in volunteer work.

And she still had time to take care of those she loved.

A Chicago native, Neu was a long-time Racine resident and Case High School teacher. She died Thursday. She was 62.

Neu and Connie Eberly, her best friend and next door neighbor, spent more than 30 years teaching together at Case High School. Neu retired a year and a half before her friend.

Eberly said her last year as a teacher was difficult. "I was exhausted," she said.

She would come home and get a call from Neu. "She'd say, 'There's soup hanging on the fence,'" Eberly said. "And sure enough there would be a bag with soup in it. She got me through a year of teaching by helping me cook."

Friends describe Neu as a true intellect who loved to read, loved to challenge her mind, and always did what she thought was right - quietly. She was bright enough to do the Sunday crossword in the New York Times and loved to travel to places like Africa.

For nearly 30 years Neu was a member of Friends of the Library, most recently serving as their treasurer.

"We depended on her," said the group's president, Genevieve Sesto, who also taught with Neu. "She was totally devoted."

Neu was committed to the Racine Public Library, also serving on the Library Board of Trustees and for the past 10 years as a representative of the Lakeshores Library Board.

"She never just dabbled," Eberly said. "When she was involved, she took the jobs that no one else had time for."

She loved to read, too.

"She was more of an intellectual than I was," Eberly said. "She read all of Dickens on her own, just because she thought she should."

Neu taught English at Case for 33 years, retiring in 2002. "She taught every level of student, from basic to international baccalaureate," Eberly said.

Neu adopted four sheltie dogs from the Southeastern Wisconsin Herding Dog Rescue. She served the rescue organization as a volunteer and provided foster care for many dogs over the years.

She also served as the treasurer of Delta Kappa Gamma, a teacher's sorority, for many years.

Eberly said when Neu saw a need for something, she just stepped in to help. For example, about a year ago, Neu told her she didn't understand why they didn't get annual solicitations to donate to the United Way now that they were retired.

She went to the United Way, talked to them about starting a mailing to retired teachers, and offered to help. Neu ended up volunteering to help with the organization's mailing.

"She just gave help when she saw the need for it," Eberly said.

And, her friends agree, never sought credit. "She just did what was right," Sesto said. "She didn't look for recognition."