Mary Louise Rothe

Mary was born in Fresno, California on January 5, 1930 and passed away peacefully in her home of nearly 60 years in Novato, California on June 11, 2021. Mary was luminous. She was a brilliant, beautiful, and proud daughter to her parents, Ann Marie and Chris Larsen. She was a kind, loving, and attentive mother to her children, Chris, Rick, Alan and Janell; an endlessly patient, supportive, and doting partner to her beloved husband Jack; a playful, understanding, generous grandmother to Karli, Skyler, Keith, Spencer, Kevin, Greg, Katy and Gabi; and perhaps most notably, a fierce, loyal, and wonderful friend. Mary was intelligent, thoughtful, and gentle. She loved to travel, sew, sing, play piano, read, play cards and board games, watch Bay Area sports and tennis matches, and garden. She graduated early from Fresno state with her degree in education and teaching credential so that she and Jack could be married before he graduated from Cal Berkeley. She went to every sports game her grandchildren played in, rain or shine. She sewed wedding dresses, she typed and edited Jack's doctoral thesis. On a typewriter! She taught kindergarten and Bible school, she drove grandchildren to school and picked them up too. She was devoted to her faith and her 60 year membership to her Novato United Methodist Church. She kept the kitchen stocked with snacks for all the neighborhood kids and took in every stray child her own children and grandchildren brought home with them. She hosted family and friends at her cabin in Tahoe every summer for more than 40 years. She had an open door policy in her home and in her heart. She led by example, teaching all of us what it means to love people with compassion and grace. To build community with care and how to move through immense grief with strength and hope. May we all live as Mary did, with our hearts and minds wide open, knowing that the idea of Heaven is really about how we connect with others here and now on Earth. Knowing that love, just love, is everything. Mary was preceded in death by her husband Jack and eldest daughter, Chris. They are deeply missed and always loved.

A memorial service will take place in a hybrid format at the Novato United Methodist Church on Saturday, June 19th at 1:00 p.m. For Zoom link information please send an email to MLrothe61@gmail.com.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in Mary's name to Novato United Methodist Church or the Novato United Methodist Church Endowment Fund 1473 South Novato Blvd, Novato, CA 94947