Obituary: Mary Wikarejczak

Mary Wikarejczak

Obituary: Mary Wikarejczak, 77, of Parker, Arizona, formerly of Ludington.

Mary passed away August 9, 2022 in Parker Arizona just days before her 78^th birthday.  She was born August 17, 1944 in Ludington to Ed and Dorothy Shorts.  She graduated from Ludington High School and attended Michigan State University and West Shore Community College.  She married David Wikarejczak on May 18, 1963 and he proceeded her in death after 44 years of marriage.

How do you put a life time of laughing, loving and living into just a few words especially when describing Mary?  She was an original for sure, enjoying daily happy hours with her many Arizona friends and attending parties wearing her glitzy costume jewelry, sparkly shoes and sometimes a silly hat.  Her “Glass is Half Full” attitude attracted lifelong friends and she was loved by all that knew her.  As her granddaughter put it, “she was a wonderful, caring, humble, fun-loving woman that taught you how to love and respect others.  She made moments with you feel like you had purpose and value”.

In her working years Mary was a volunteer director for F.I.S.H. (Friends In Supplying Help).  She worked at Mason County Community Mental Health as a house mother for challenged young adults, worked with people that had mental disorders and worked a suicide hotline.  She was a public guardian conservator managing over 50 clients at one time.  She worked for over 25 years and retired from Memorial Medical Center in the credit and collections department, (not an easy job), where she always treated people with kindness and respect.  She was named Woman of the Year in 1977 by the Ludington Jaycees Woman’s Organization and she recently volunteered on the La Paz Hospital Auxiliary in Arizona.

Mary was proceeded in death by her husband; her parents; her three siblings, Pat Wilson, Robert Shorts and James Shorts; her brothers-in-law, Bob Wilson and Gary Wickery; and sisters-in-law, Sheryl Shorts and Lois Davenport.

Mary is survived by her daughter Elizabeth (William) Steckel; son Todd Wikarejczak; grandchildren Tobin (Sarah) Lankton, Keila Bay Lankton, Warren Steckel, Stormy (Matt) Clark, Marie Todd, Elizabeth (Michael) McManus, Rebecca Wikarejczak; numerous great-grandchildren; and sisters-in-law, Janice Shorts and Jude Wickery.

Being the practical person that Mary was, she requested no funeral and chose to have her body donated to science, being a true volunteer for the good of all in life, (having donated 107 pints of blood), and death.

Mary is sadly missed by her Michigan friends and family and her Arizona gang with whom she spent the last 10 years of her life.

“I am very thankful for my life.  I know I was helpful, that pleases me. On the day that I die, please be happy inside with the knowledge that I loved life and people.”

                                                                                                                        -Mary