Correspondent photo / Maurita Hoffman
Marcy Dubec, the gardening director at Fellows Riverside Gardens, also plays in a local Irish band, County Mayo.
Marcy Dubec has many talents. She plays the flute, pipes and whistles in the Irish band, County Mayo. She once owned a stained glass repair business. And, as the current director of gardening at Fellows Riverside Gardens, she’s brilliant with floral arrangements.
Dubec grew up in Youngstown and graduated from Cardinal Mooney High School in 1980. She earned her bachelor’s degree in business administration and graphic design from Youngstown State University, graduating in 1987. In 2005, she returned to YSU and received an associate degree in horticulture.
In the summer between her junior and senior years of high school, Dubec spent six weeks in Ireland. She said the “Irish Way Project” took place in County Meath, Ireland. The training consisted of business courses, fina nces and Irish history. She acknowledged that this time in Ireland, in addition to her own Irish heritage, increased her interest in Irish music.
While at YSU, Dubec met Mary Beth Choppa and Mike Shaefer and formed an Irish band, the Seanachais, in the early ’80s.
She said the group would play at festivals, churches, schools and “of course St. Patrick’s Day.” The whole thing was very informal. The group initially held “seisiuns” — traditional Irish music jam sessions — at St. Rose Church in Girard. Dubec said these “were not organized groups — we would just get together and play.”
It was during one of these seisiuns that she met Ted Miller.
They, along with Bill Lewis, formed the popular local Irish band, County Mayo, about 36 years ago. She said the band is “booking up fast for St. Patrick’s Day,” and they tend to play “several times a week then.”
She noted summertime is also a busy time for the band.
Dubec explained the instrument she plays for County Mayo, the flute, was not her first choice growing up.
“I really wanted to play drums when I was in school, but Mom said, ‘No,’” she said.
So, Dubec settled on three of the smaller instruments. She said she was always in “some kind of band” since fourth grade.
She took private lessons with Al Caldron, the principal clarinetist in the Youngstown Symphony Orchestra at that time.
As far as what she likes about County Mayo the best, Dubec quickly said, “I like the music.” She added that she likes playing all types of venues and events.
“We’ve played in churches, a lawyer’s office for an office get-together, festivals and, of course, St. Patrick’s Day events,” she explained.
As a graphic design major, music is not the only art that interests Dubec. For several years, she and her late husband, Ron Dubec, owned a business creating and repairing stained glass designs. Ron passed away in 1994, and, eventually, Dubec said, “A lot of the outlets for stained glass dried up.”
She said she continued to do some repairs of stained glass products, but went into the antique business with Bill Heckman until he passed away. Dubec said she still does stained glass repairs in her spare time.
When a friend urged Dubec to enroll in the master gardener classes at Mill Creek Park, Dubec did so gladly, noting, “I’ve always loved gardening.”
Dubec explained that “part of the class requirement was to volunteer 40 hours in a gardening sector,” and, since the class was held at Fellows Riverside Gardens, Dubec fulfilled her volunteer time requirement on the grounds.
“I just continued volunteering there,” she said.
In 2002, Dubec was hired as a seasonal gardener. In 2005, she returned to YSU for her horticulture degree and was then hired to be the full-time director of gardening at the Gardens.
Her responsibilities include designing the annual flower beds and the bulb beds.
There are “14 annual beds made up of 30,000 to 40,000 plants,” she said. The design of the beds for bulbs — including tulips, daffodils, etc. — also include that same eye-popping number of bulbs.
“All the bulbs are laid out in the garden beds in specific rows in specific colors, which change every year,” Dubec explained.
She plants the flowers with the help of others, but she’s responsible for the designs, including layout and colors.
“It’s not just thinking and designing; I am also involved in maintaining the garden,” Dubec said.
She enjoys the process, “getting to start from seeds, cutting and nurturing the plants in the greenhouse,” she stated.
A larger greenhouse and children’s garden area are planned in the spring of 2026.
“There will be a sensory garden and a vegetable garden,” Dubec said. “It will be fun and educational for the children.”
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