Mary Elizabeth Lytle

Mary, Thank you for your friendship and mentorship.  To honor you, I am charging everyone $150 (an inside joke between Mary and I). Rest in peace my friend. Leanne

Dr. Lytle was such a great role model and amazing mentor for me. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know her as one of her AuD students. I learned so much clinically and academically from her that I dont think I could've learned from anyone else. I appreciate her love of audiology and the love she had for her students, including myself. She was a true queen of audiology and such a bright and cheerful person in general. The world lost a true light with her and I will miss her dearly. My thoughts go out to her family.

May happy memories comfort all of us during this time. You will be missed!!    Love,  Kelly Allan

I have such wonderful memories of Mary. . .  her friendship, her family, and she was a terrific Mom. I remember those choir rehearsals in Oceanside. Yes, there was a degree of insanity, but Mary and Chuck put up with me. They were the friends one cherishes. I remember Mary’s dedication to her work as an audiologist in Encinitas, so her distinguished career came as no surprise to me. Love and hugs to Chuck, Sarah and Kenny. Kathleen

I was lucky enough to be taught by Dr. Lytle. Not only did I gain so much audiology knowledge from her, but I got a lot of life lessons from her as well! When I was her student in the clinic, we seemed to have many patients no-show. During our downtime, I learned probably my favorite thing that I have learned so far about Utah! Pie and beer day! I couldn't believe I had never heard that before and we shared a bunch of laughs after that. She was such a bright light in my day when I would run into her, and her passion for audiology was infectious. I will definitely be taking the memories we shared with me forever. My thoughts go out to her family and friends.

May you rest in bright happiness, Dr. Lytle. It was a truly amazing experience to have Dr. Lytle as a professor, clinic supervisor, and mentor. Such a beautiful, kind, intelligent, and clever person. Forever thankful for the memories and teaching she gave us. Sending love to all of her family!

Dr. Lytle taught me a lot about being an audiologist, but she taught me equally as much about remembering to make time for fun and not taking life too seriously. From my early days in the AuD program and throughout my future ahead of me in this career I will carry the wisdom she shared with me...and always remember it's more than okay to be "flying by the seat of our pants", as Dr. Lytle often pointed out we all were! She will be greatly missed, and I am sending prayers and love to her family. Thank you for sharing your amazing wife, mother, grandmother, etc. with all of us students for many years. 

 Terribly sad at the passing of Mary. Knew her all too breifly but enjoyed every moment spent in her kind and generous company. I feel fortunate to have been embraced as a friend to the Lytle Family, rest in peace Mary.

Dr. Lytle had a fantastic laugh that was infectious. She was unexpected, sometimes exposing parts of herself that always kept me guessing as to who she really was. We didn't have the same closeness in our student-supervisor relationship I saw her have with others. Still, I was never blind to the incredible person she was. Dr. Lytle was a mother who cared deeply for her children, often referring to them during intermissions between appointments. She was a grandmother who very obviously loved being one from how she would light up when talking about her grandchildren. She was an amazing audiologist who I will always deem as the "Hearing Aid Queen" because it seemed there was no hearing aid problem she couldn't solve. Most of all, she was honest. If I did well, she said so; and if I needed to improve on something, she said that too. I don't know what to make of Dr. Lytle no longer being with us except that the world lost an honest, caring person and an amazing audiologist who many will miss. May you rest in peace now, Dr. Lytle. Thank you for your wisdom. 

Dr. Lytle was a remarkable mentor during my first years of the University of Utah Au.D. program. Not only did she teach me a lot about what it means to be a great audiologist, but she showed me compassion on numerous occasions. During my first year of school, I had a miscommunication that landed me in some trouble with another supervisor. Dr. Lytle let me cry in her office and gave me reassurance that the problem would be resolved. As someone who was anxious to begin a graduate program, and kept seeming to find reasons to quit, Dr. Lytle did everything in her power to help me stay. At the height of the pandemic my mental health was suffering, and Dr. Lytle was kind enough to adjust my assignment schedule so that I could return to Colorado to be with my family through the end of the semester. It’s not every day that you meet someone who cares enough about their students to help them prioritize their overall well-being. If it had not been for Dr. Lytle’s compassion and grace through my most difficult moments, I think the many stressors of life would have deterred me from continuing the graduate program. I am now nearing the end of my third year of the program with no doubts that I will become a doctor of audiology in 2023, and I know I could not have gotten to this point without Dr. Lytle. She will be missed dearly and remembered fondly. 

I had the honor of knowing Dr. Lytle as my teacher, supervisor, and mentor in audiology starting in 2019. She was so adored by all of us in the program. Our hearts broke when we learned of her passing. Dr. Lytle was one of the kindest and smartest clinicians I've ever met - there was never a problem she couldn't solve! She cared so much for her patients and students and had the unique trait of making you feel comfortable enough to share anything with her. She was the best conversationalist and had the greatest laugh - I  don't think there was any conversation we had that didn't end with us laughing! Dr. Lytle was truly the queen of audiology and I will carry her with me the rest of my career because the clinician I become will be directly shaped by her guidance and example. What stands out the most to me about Dr. Lytle was how much she loved her family. While her family might not have known us, we knew all of you by name, because Dr. Lytle shared so much about her family with us. It was so beautifully apparent how proud she was of her family. Every chance she got, Dr. Lytle would share what she got up to during the weekends, new accomplishments and events, and new pictures of her incredible family. I remember in the fall of 2020, as we were packing up to leave class, Dr. Lytle suddenly yelled, "Wait, don't go! I HAVE to show you this video of Chuck and Danny sledding over the weekend! It's hilarious!" Dr. Lytle had so many accomplishments in her life, but it was obvious her best one was her family. Dr. Lytle meant so much to me and I will be forever grateful to have known her. All of us in the U of U audiology program will miss her tremendously. All my thoughts to her family and hopes of peace despite such a painful loss. 

Dr. Lytle was an absolutely amazing audiologist, professor, and mentor. On interview day in February of 2020, I had the pleasure of having my interview with Dr. Lytle. I was SO nervous, as I'm sure she could tell. We talked about Utah and skiing for at least half of the interview. She was the first person in Utah that made me feel like I could take a deep breath and truly be myself.  Dr. Lytle was very supportive in her students' education, but also for their overall well-being. I was always so grateful for the support she showed me. When I was struggling to juggle school and family health troubles, she was there to reassure me and told me not to worry. "Things happen the way they happen, and everything will be okay." Dr. Lytle loved talking about her family and sharing stories that made her smile and laugh. Her office door was always open. She took the time to teach her students when we needed extra help.  There are no words for the legacy Dr. Lytle has left on our audiology family at the U. Her shining personality, insightful wisdom, and contageous smile will be so greatly missed. My thoughts and prayers are with her family.

One of my favorite memories of Dr. Lytle was a day when a whole group of students was feeling stressed beyond measure and she asked what we were all worried about. She then explained that when her daughter was young and afraid of something she would let her whisper her worries into her hands and then blow them away. She then had each of us do the same. It was such a sweet moment of mothering that doesn’t always come in a graduate program. Dr. Lytle’s genuine care for her students and patients is something I will always remember her for.  She will be deeply missed. 

I miss you, Mary. You are and always will be a very special person and genuine friend. I wish we started our lunch dates a lot sooner than we did but I enjoyed everyone of them. Your joy in life was contagious and you made me laugh even when i didn't feel like laughing. Your beautify is going to live on.