Mary Louise Emerson

Born in Detroit, Michigan in 1953, Mary moved with her family after high school to Arizona, where she attended classes at NAU and ASU, and eventually worked as a legal secretary. She met her husband, Dr. Richard Emerson, in 1975, and they married in 1977.

Mary was a loving wife and mother and a dedicated homemaker, who was always ready to help a friend or family member in need. Among many things, she will be remembered for her excellent cooking and her love for the holidays, especially St. Patrick's Day and Christmas. She was a passionate conversationalist, always ready to engage in a spirited discussion about politics, religion, and the day's news. She loved to read, and was often talking of something she learned from a major work of history or piece of literature. Mary was also a talented artist, and over the years became skilled at painting and jewelry-making. She held a lifelong love of music covering a variety of genres, from The Temptations to George Strait to Mozart and opera.

Mary had a particularly special place in her heart for Saints Simon and Jude School, in Phoenix. When her two boys attended grade school there, Mary donated many hours of her time making costumes for school plays and volunteering in other ways over eight years. Long after her children graduated from SSJ, Mary retained deep admiration for the Loreto Sisters and their dedication to faith and education.

Mary loved the cool forest country of Flagstaff, Arizona, where she and her husband had a summer getaway for many years, and where for a time they kept horses. She loved sitting on their porch, listening to the sounds of nature, observing night fall on the San Francisco Peaks.

Mary is survived by her husband of 41 years, Richard; her son, Patrick; her son Matthew and his wife Natalie, and their children, James and Luke; her stepdaughters, Misti and Wendy; and her brothers, Brian, Myron, and Denis. She is preceded in death by her mother, Helen; her father, Basil; and her stepdaughter, Dawn.

A visitation will be held at Shadow Mountain Mortuary, 2350 E. Greenway Rd., Phoenix, this Friday, August 23, 2019, 3-7pm. A funeral Mass will be held at St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church, 3801 E. Greenway Rd., Phoenix, on Saturday, August 24, 2019 at 1:00pm. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Wounded Warrior Project, www.woundedwarriorproject.org.