Mary Louise Gerome

Mary Louise McBean Fitzgerald Gerome was born at home in Chicago January 10, 1912, daughter of George Martin and Louise (Blish) McBean. She is a graduate of the Art Institute in Chicago and did post-graduate work at Roosevelt College. As an interior decorator she was associated with Marshall Field & Company before WWII.

In 1944 she joined the Navy WAVES and at the time of discharge in 1946 served as a control tower specialist at the Naval Air Station in Atlanta, Georgia. She later worked for TIME, Inc.

She married John Joseph Fitzgerald, son of William and Julie (Tierney) Fitzgerald December 18, 1937. He was associated with TIME, Inc. They retired from TIME is 1961. He preceded her in death on July 7, 1970.

Mary then moved to the Clearwater area of Florida and married Leonard V Gerome on June 14, 1972. He preceded her in death on November 11, 2002.

Mary was active in bridge and shuffleboard groups in Clearwater. She also was an avid genealogist and prepared a history of the McBean family back to Pitlochry, Scotland.

Three nieces; Anne Rosseisen, Elizabeth Lostumbo, and Margaret Thompson, and a nephew James McBean, the offspring of her deceased brother Dr. Jams Blish McBean of Rochester, MN, survive her. Dorothy (Gerome) Lowenstein, her stepdaughter, also survives her. She had a community of supportive friends and neighbors in Clearwater Beach, who helped celebrate her 100th birthday in 2012.

Mary will be buried in the McBean plot in Oakwood Cemetery in Chicago.

Friends and family may sign the guest book at www.mossfeasterclearwater.com