Mary Kathryn Heriza Eilers (Mary K Eilers) passed away on September 2nd, 2023 at the age of 79 from a neurogenerative condition (corticobasal degeneration), which she had been facing with courage and grace over the past seven years, supported by the love of a large family, long-time friends and compassionate caregivers.
Mary K was born April 10, 1944 in Baker, Oregon to Mary and Louis Heriza, the fifth of their nine children. She attended St. Francis Academy, where she excelled academically and graduated as valedictorian of her class in 1962. She spent many pleasant hours working on the family's acreage at the edge of town, where she learned to drive a tractor and run a hay derrick at an early age. Her experience growing up in Eastern Oregon left her with an appreciation of small town life, a deep intellectual curiosity, and a desire to explore what else the world had to offer.
After high school, Mary K enrolled at the University of Portland to study nursing, but later transferred to the University of Oregon Dental School (now OHSU) to study dental hygiene. There she met Michael Eilers, a dental school student, who would become her husband. Over the years Mary K would often work as a hygienist at Mike's dental practice, and together they met many people in the dental profession, who would become lifelong friends.
Mary K and Mike were married in 1967, then moved to Stuttgart, Germany, where Mike was stationed as a captain in the U.S. Army Medical Corps. While in Germany Mike and Mary K discovered a love of travel, exploring as many European countries as they could during their time off from work. They looked back at this time fondly, sharing stories of their adventures and the friendships they made, and considered it to be one of the best periods of their life together.
Their first son, Mark, was born in Germany in 1969 and in 1970 they returned home to Portland, Oregon, where Mike started his dental practice. In 1972 Mike and Mary K's second son, Scott, was born, followed 15 months later by their third son, Greg.
Raising three boys in the Raleigh Hills neighborhood of Southwest Portland, Mary K was an active and committed mother. She was a regular volunteer at Raleigh Park Elementary School, a steadfast supporter of countless youth sporting events, and an inspiring force of creative energy. For almost 30 years, Mary K made the Eilers household a welcoming hub of social activity, that many neighborhood friends saw as a second home.
She was an exceptional cook, who was known for creating spectacular, multi-course meals for large gatherings. She learned to cook from many hours in the kitchen with her mother, then refined her skills through culinary classes and tips picked up from global travel. She would often remark that cooking great meals for the people she loved was one of the true joys of her life.
The arts in all forms were an immensely important part of Mary K's life. She played the piano and several other instruments, had a beautiful soprano voice, was a life-long art student, an accomplished visual artist, a practitioner of Tai Chi, and a docent at the Portland Art Museum for 10 years. With passion and persistence, she forced a household of sports-obsessed males to expand their worldview and appreciate the beauty that art can capture and inspire. Her cultural influence on her family and friends was a gift of immeasurable impact.
Mary K and Mike were fortunate to have a large network of friends and an exceptionally active social life. Among their most treasured memories were trips to Black Butte Ranch, rafting trips on the Deschutes River, Hawaiian vacations, many unforgettable international travel experiences and trips to the family cabin on Mt. Hood. Mary K's personal interests included touring museums, going to the symphony, tending to her garden, reading poetry with her brother Tony and spending time with her grandchildren. She also enjoyed getting regular exercise, including outings with her kayaking group, neighborhood walks and going for long hikes -- most notably, in 2016 at age 72, Mary K and her sister Beth walked the nearly 500 mile Camino de Santiago pilgrimage across northern Spain.
Mary K will be remembered as an endlessly optimistic, exceptionally intelligent, kind hearted and beautiful soul, who lived life to its fullest and made a positive impact on all those fortunate enough to know her. She is survived by her three sons Mark, Scott and Greg; daughters-in-law Jill and Kristen; grandchildren Sam, Nick, Jake, Ben, Matt, Nolan, Clare and Michael; siblings John Heriza, Celeste O'Dell, Alice Ierulli, Robert Heriza, Clare Heriza and Tony Heriza. Preceding her in death were her infant brother Edward, her parents Mary and Louis, her husband Mike, and her sister Elizabeth. She was loved immensely and will be missed dearly.
A funeral Mass will be held at St. Mary's Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (1716 NW Davis St, Portland) at 1:00pm on Saturday, October 28th. A reception celebrating Mary K's life will follow from 3pm - 6pm at the Multnomah Athletic Club (1849 SW Salmon St, Portland). In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Mary K's honor to Medical Teams International, the Oregon Symphony and Camps for Kids (camps-4-kids.com).
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.finleysunsethills.com for the Eilers family.
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