MaryLou Henry passed away peacefully at home on September 24, 2021. MaryLou was born on April 23, 1930, to Donald and Frances (Kepp) Peterson. She was born in the home of her maternal grandparents in Toledo, Ohio, and grew up in Perrysburg. She graduated from Perrysburg High School (1948), the University of Toledo (Bachelor of Education, 1970) and Eastern Michigan University (Master of Education, 1976). She was a proud member of Chi Omega Sorority while earning her Bachelor’s. MaryLou married F. Donald Henry in 1951 and settled in Monroe, MI, where she raised five children; she was an active member of the First Presbyterian Church (where she was the Superintendent of Sunday School for a year) and taught several elementary grades throughout 20 years of employment with Jefferson Public Schools. After retirement, she and Don owned and managed a summer resort in Silver Lake, MI, before eventually moving to Carlsbad, CA. There she was a volunteer for Being Alive, Fraternity House, Interfaith Community Services, and Planned Parenthood, a member of the American Association of University Women, and a congregant at Pilgrim United Church of Christ. MaryLou loved to entertain and organize parties; she enjoyed playing cribbage, Mah Jong and slot machines. Friends say that she was a sassy, smart, determined person with a wonderfully sarcastic sense of humor; MaryLou was a force of nature.
MaryLou was preceded in death by her husband; parents; sister, Donna; and sons, Bruce and Blake; she is survived by children, Mark (Venice, FL), Kathy (Carlsbad, CA), and Molly (Columbia, SC); grandchildren, Joseph Henry, Ben Mazur, Mandy Poore, and Mo Henry-Rivera; and great-grandchildren, Logan Gonzales and Sammy Henry.
A Celebration of Life will take place on Monday, October 4th, at 2 p.m. at Pilgrim United Church of Christ, 2020 Chestnut Avenue, Carlsbad, CA. Inurnment will be at a later date at Toledo Memorial Park in Sylvania, OH. In lieu of flowers, donations in MaryLou’s memory may be made to Fraternity House, Inc. at 20702 Elfin Forest Road, Escondido, CA 92029. The family would like to express their sincere appreciation to the Elizabeth Hospice.
Published by The Blade on Oct. 3, 2021.
