Mary Ann Nichols Popp

She was the beloved widow of the late Robert J. “Bob” Nichols, and the late Stuart Eugene “Stu” Popp. A South City girl for most of her life, she lived for the past five years at Bethesda Orchard Independent Living in Webster Groves, Mo.

Mary Ann, a mother of seven, is survived by daughters Charleen (Bill) Schindler of Webster Groves and Linda Nichols of St. Louis; and sons John (Lisa) Nichols of Swansea, Ill., Jim (Jen) of San Antonio, Texas, and George (Carmen) of Tipp City, Ohio. Along with Bob and Stuart, she was preceded in death by her oldest two children – daughter Kathy (Jim) Nielsen and son Dan (Dianne) – and her brothers Charles and Bob Mager.

Other survivors include Stu’s children Eugene “Skip” (Pat) Popp of Hazelwood, Barbara (Ed) Austermann of Fenton, Judy (Dennis) Hoeing of Warrenton, Jackie (Kevin) Coffey of Eureka, and Greg (Laura) Popp of St. Louis. Other survivors include Mary Ann’s 13 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren; and Stu’s 14 grandchildren and 25 great-grandchildren.

Mary Ann was blessed with many, many friends, including those she made as an active parishioner at St. Joan of Arc and Holy Family Catholic churches in South St. Louis, as well as her Bethesda buddies. Closest of all, though, were her seven lifelong sisters of “Tau Gamma,” their self-created sorority at Notre Dame High School (Class of 1946). She loved entertaining all these friends and family members playing piano and leading sing-alongs.

Mary Ann was born January 17, 1928 in St. Louis to George Joseph Mager and Mary Alberta “May” (nee’ Suellentrop) Mager. She went to elementary school at St. Stephen Protomartyr and earned a scholarship to Notre Dame High.

She cherished her faith in God above all. Other passions over the years included sewing, gardening, travel, St. Louis Cardinals baseball (much to the dismay of her father, a die-hard St. Louis Browns fan) and dressing up glamorously – often in outfits she made herself. She took up golf in midlife to spend more time with Bob, and occasionally beat his score, which defeated the purpose of spending more time together because he would sulk. They shared 47 years of marriage until Bob’s death in 1996. Two years later, she and Stu, a widower and friend from St. Joan of Arc, began dating and fell in love. They were married in 1999 and enjoyed their 2 large families together for 17 years until Stu’s passing in 2016.

Arrangements through Hoffmeister Colonial Mortuary, 6464 Chippewa, St. Louis, 63109. Funeral service 10 a.m. Monday at St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church, 5800 Oleatha, St. Louis, 63139. Visitation Sunday from 4-8 pm at Hoffmeister Colonial Mortuary at Watson. Interment at Resurrection Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please donate to the St. Vincent de Paul Society, 1310 Papin, St. Louis, 63103, or St. Joan of Arc.