Mary Louisa Bisbee Curtis (Mary Lou) was born in Northampton, MA, June 20, 1927, and passed away peacefully at home on May 8, 2024. She was the daughter of Charles Allen Bisbee Sr. & Emily Huntington Baker Bisbee of Chesterfield, MA. Mary Lou is predeceased by her parents and 5 brothers: Charles Allen Bisbee Jr. (Betty), Robert Lyman Bisbee (Dolores), Russell Taylor Bisbee (Alice), William Homer Bisbee (Norma), and Henry Burnell Bisbee (Lillian).
She leaves one daughter, Esther Louise (Curtis) Calio, and her husband, Mike, of Kempner, Texas, and 4 grandchildren: Jessica Marie Calio Dodge & Matt, Leander Texas; Jason Michael Calio & Amanda, Ridgefield, WA; Joshua Curtis Calio & Kate, Surprise, AZ; and James Francesco Calio & Bethany, Phoenix, AZ.
Mary Lou leaves 7 great-grandchildren: Eliana Esther Dodge, Ethan Paul Dodge, Evie Marie Dodge, David James Calio, Josephine Sara Calio, Melissa Lane Calio, and Noah Michael Calio. She was blessed to have a total of 85 nieces, nephews, grandnieces, grandnephews, great-grandnieces and great-grandnephews.
Mary Lou attended a one room schoolhouse, Bofat School, for grades 1-8 and graduated from Williamsburg High School in 1945. She graduated from Oberlin College, Oberlin, Ohio, in 1949, with a degree in primary education and then taught first grade in Manchester, CT, until Dec 1952.
Mary Lou was married to William Wallace Curtis of Chesterfield, MA, on Dec 20, 1952. He was serving in the Marines at Camp LeJeune near Jacksonville, NC. She taught first grade in Jacksonville until they returned to Chesterfield in March 1954, following his honorable discharge from the Marines. In 1957, she began teaching in Northampton, MA; first at South Street School and then 30 years at Florence Grammar, retiring in 1988.
In August 1960, Mary Lou trusted in Christ as her own personal Savior and was born again spiritually. She became a charter member of Bible Baptist Church in Northampton in 1962. She was a very active member serving as church treasurer, Sunday School teacher and Children's Ministry Coordinator until moving to Texas in September 2015.
Since retirement, Mary Lou made many trips to Arizona and Texas to visit Esther and the family. She took an 8-week cross-country trip in an RV with high school friend, Louise Flynn, Blanche Dufresne, and Buttons in 1988. She also took a 12-day Holy Land Tour in 1990 and 3-week Reformation Country Tour in 1993.
Mary Lou was a member of the Betty Allen Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution in Northampton, MA, for 67 years.
After moving to Texas in 2015, Mary Lou became a member of Union Hall Baptist Church of Liberty Hill, TX. She had the privilege of helping with the performances of the Patch the Pirate Club through 2019. Mary Lou continued to be a faithful church member and prayer warrior for the rest of her days.
A Celebration of Life Service will be held on Saturday, May 25, 2024 at 10:00 AM at Weed-Corley-Fish Leander Funeral Home, 1200 S. Bagdad Rd. Leander, TX 78641.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to:
UHBC Building Fund
301 Seward Junction Loop
Liberty Hill, TX 78642.
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