Mary Lou Herrick

Mary Lou Finnerty was born on February 19, 1924 in Springfield, Illinois to Nellie Mae (VanSickle) Finnerty and Paul Finnerty. She had one sister, Betty. While still in her early childhood years Mary’s parents separated. During early childhood she lived in Chicago and then she and Betty spent some time living with relatives on a farm near Herscher, Illinois. Her mother eventually married Ove (Pete) Petersen. Mary’s second sister Marchetta was born of this marriage. The family settled in Chebanse, a town of less than 500 residents. Mary attended grammar school there and went on to graduate from Chebanse High School. Three of Mary’s first jobs were working as a nanny to two small boys, working in a hosiery factory, and as a timekeeper in a munitions factory.

Following the death of Mr. Petersen, Nellie eventually married Clifford Falter during Mary’s high school years.

After graduation from high school Mary met and fell in love with Newman Eugene (Gene) Tyree of Kankakee, Illinois. The two were later married in St. Louis, Missouri. Gene joined the U.S. Army Air Corps and became a test pilot for the P51 Mustang aircraft. During World War II he was deployed to Rivenhall in Essex, England. On March 25, 1944 Gene was tragically killed in a crash during a training mission. He was buried at Cambridge American Cemetery in England.

On December 26, 1945 Mary wed James Mulligan in Oakland, California. James had served in the U.S. Navy during the war. After their marriage he worked for a time in a family business in Arizona and the family resided there. He then applied for and was accepted into cadet training as a pilot in what would become the U.S. Air Force.

The couple, over time, lived a military family life in several different locations in the U.S. and Europe, including England and Germany. They had three children, Michael, Patricia and Kathleen. James Mulligan served during three wars: World War II, Korea and Vietnam, and during his long career in the Air Force achieved the rank of colonel. In the mid 1950’s the family lived four years in Wooburn, England while he served as a U.S. Air Force pilot for the Strategic Air Command in post war Europe. In the mid 1960’s James was actively deployed to Viet Nam as reconnaissance pilot flying F4 Phantom jets.

After returning home from Viet Nam in 1969 James was deployed to Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany and he and Mary relocated there with daughters Patty and Kathleen. As time allowed they did a lot of traveling, including to Spain, Germany, Austria, France, Belgium and Denmark.

In the early 1970’s the couple divorced and Mary returned from Germany to settle in Fresno, California. She returned to school and completed several business courses upgrading her typing, shorthand and office practice skills, eventually returning to the work force at age 45 in an insurance office and later a private law practice. She later went to work in the Fresno County Counsel’s office from which she retired approximately ten years later at age 62.

On June 7, 1975 Mary married James Herrick of Fresno, and they were married until the death of Mr. Herrick on December 22, 2016. Mary and Jim were avid golfers and traveled with friends to play golf, and traveled as a couple to visit locales such as Hawaii, Alaska, Europe, Mexico and the East Coast, and had several cruise ship vacations. The couple also loved vacations in Shaver Lake and Yosemite and often included their children and grandchildren on these trips. They were active members of Saint Columba’s Church in Fresno (now Saint Michael the Archangel Anglican Church.) Jim was in the insurance business and retired from Marsh & McLennan, after which he had his own insurance business.

Even once her children were grown Mary was always supportive and involved in their lives and always made time for them, her grandchildren and great grandchildren, showing genuine interest in everyone’s activities and life experiences. She frequently planned and hosted family gatherings and celebrations of birthdays and holidays, and always made it a priority to get the family together.

As a military family the Mulligans frequently had periods of time when James was serving his country a long way from home. Mary, as wife and mother, was the heart of the home and while a kind and gentle soul, was also strong and persevering in managing the challenges of family life.

Mary was a loving and devoted daughter, sister, wife, mother, aunt, grandmother, great grandmother and homemaker in each home she had throughout her adult life. She always put home and family at the center of her life, while also achieving strong success in her midlife career as a legal secretary. During her time as a military wife and beyond, she became a highly accomplished cook who could be tireless in creating a fine meal from her vast recipe collection, serving her family and friends in elegant style at her table. While in her 80’s Mary began typing on her computer her collection of favorite recipes, eventually self publishing a cookbook for family and friends of 489 recipes. She was also an expert seamstress and loved gardening.

Mary is survived by her son Michael Mulligan (Lela) and granddaughters Catherine Bixler (Hud) and Colleen Battistoni (John) and great grandchildren Hana and Hayden Bixler and Fiona and Joe Battistoni; daughter Patricia Selenak and grandchildren Erika Selenak and Scott Selenak (Brittany) and great grandson Liam Lhautara; and Kathleen Venegas (Sergio) and grandchildren Nicolas (Renee), Michelle Temple (Adam), Cristopher (Brianna), Benjamin, Jonathan, and Jeremy, and great grandchildren Karis and Ethan Venegas; Micah, Grace and Noah Temple; Rodey, Gemma, Jasper and Logan Venegas; Red Venegas; and Ximena Duran-Venegas.

She is also survived by nieces and nephews Sandra Nelson (Tom), Linda Wagner, and Lauren Lacost (Carol), Jill Mulligan, Sheila Mulligan, Mary Ann Mogenson, Michelle Fain, James Copeland, and Mark White.

Other surviving family members of Mary’s are her late husband James Herrick’s daughters Cynthia Duncan (Joe), Marcia Herrick (Cheryl), and Lydia Clary; grandchildren Kellie Duncan, Casey Duncan, and Wesley Clary, and Mary’s sister-in-law Ursula Meese (Ed), nephew Mike Meese (Ramona) and niece Dana Mlikotin (Marko).

After the death of James Herrick in 2016 Mary lived independently until 2019 when she moved into assisted living at Sunrise of Fresno, where she passed from this life on April 4, 2023. Her loved ones are deeply grateful to the nurses and staff of Sunrise and Hinds Hospice for the quality of care and compassion they gave her.

A Funeral Mass for Mary will be held Monday, May 22, 2023 at 1:00 p.m. at St. Michael the Archangel Anglican Church, 5073 North Palm Avenue, California 93704, with interment to follow there in the chapel columbarium.