Celia Jane Kushner, the tenacious parent who founded the girls' field hockey team at Mt. Lebanon High School 10 years ago after her oldest daughter did not make the varsity soccer team her freshman year, died Friday of ovarian cancer. She was 49.

At the time, Mt. Lebanon only offered a handful of fall sports for girls, and Ms. Kushner believed they needed more options. Her success in starting and coaching the new program earned her a state commendation and the honor of being named Mt. Lebanon Outstanding Citizen in May 2003.

The girls' field hockey team at Mt. Lebanon joined the WPIAL in 2001, and the annual Walker-West Award for an outstanding female athlete is given in Ms. Kushner's honor.

"Our soccer team was very competitive and I didn't make it," said her daughter, Alison West, of Mt. Lebanon. "Mom really wanted us to be involved in something and field hockey was very close to her heart. It was one of the only options she had growing up in high school and she thrived in it."

A native of Dayton, Ohio, Ms. Kushner attended Miami University of Ohio in Oxford on a field hockey scholarship and served as co-captain of the college team.

In 2005, she helped coach the girls' field hockey team at Oakland Catholic High School while her daughter, Emma, was a senior there.

"That was also when she was pretty sick," Emma West, of Mt. Lebanon, said. "She had had surgery while the season was going on and she was still coming out to all the games."

While coaching, raising her two daughters and three stepdaughters, Ms. Kushner also worked as a property manager, most recently at Pendale Towers apartments in Mt. Lebanon, an elderly care facility.

"She really cared for them very deeply and went far beyond the scope of her job responsibilities in helping them," said her sister, Cinda Isler, of Mt. Lebanon. "I think her greatest accomplishment was always caring about others more than herself."

Close friend Jennifer McDowell remembers visiting Ms. Kushner while she was hospitalized for about three weeks at Magee-Womens Hospital around Christmas.

Although she was in grave condition, she asked visitors to help her make hundreds of paper hearts that she could give to each of her residents for Valentine's Day.

"She always looked for ways to make life a little brighter for her residents," Ms. McDowell said. "Her legacy was going out of her way to do things for others."

Her husband, Joseph Kushner, said, as her health declined, she continued to work at Pendale Towers until about three months before she died.

"This has been hard," he said. "It's definitely our loss, but it's heaven's gain. A lot of people go up there, but they've got a real special one coming now."

In addition to her husband and daughters, Mrs. Kushner is survived by stepdaughters Kelsey Kushner Chapin of Dormont, Annie Kushner of New York City and Reva Kushner of Mt. Lebanon; and her parents, James and Barbara Slager of Mt. Lebanon.

Visitation will be at Laughlin Memorial Chapel, 222 Washington Road, Mt. Lebanon, on Wednesday from 4 to 8 p.m.

Mass will be celebrated Thursday at 10 a.m. in St. Bernard Church, with burial at Mt. Lebanon Cemetery.