Mary Bonita Wakelee-Waldron

Sun Health Foundation

Attn: Research Foundation

P.O. Box 2015

Sun City, AZ 85373

Why Mary Wakelee Waldron was the person that she was -

by her Husband, J. Bernie Waldron.

During Irene Waldron’s stay in a nursing home, Mary Wakelee, her best friend, visited her often bringing her flowers and candy. Although her time was occupied by taking care of Lloyd, her husband, she still had time for Irene. I tell you this because both Irene and Lloyd died the same year due to complications from Alzheimer’s. Mary and my friendship continued after the deaths of our spouses and on July 22, 2006 we were married. Mary’s story continues here!

Mary was born in Ironwood, Michigan, and the youngest of nine children, three girls and six boys. It was a difficult life living in a town where most of the men worked in an iron ore mine. To assist her mother financially Mary, as a child, delivered newspapers for seven long years. Like the mailmen of the time, she delivered through rain, sleet, or snow. She managed to save pennies even though her one brother wanted her to give him money for cigarettes.

There were few opportunities in Ironwood, Michigan, and upon graduation from high school, along with her brothers, Mary sought her future elsewhere. With the aid of her brother, Mary attended Beauty School in Chicago. She was a determined student and upon graduation she was entered into a hair dressers contest in Chicago.

The morning of the contest, Mary went to church and prayed for guidance and courage. She, with 300 other contestants, performed in front of many judges. Mary was selected as the number one contestant. It took two men to carry the winning trophy to the stage. I promised Mary not to tell about this part of her life but, I don’t think she would mind now.

Mary worked several years in a beauty parlor but soon longed to have a place of her own. She was approached by the husband of one of her clients and together they built two multi-story buildings, with a court yard between, in a newly developed area. She worked seven days a week, reordered supplies, balanced the books, and readied the salon for the next week’s business on weekends. She built a very successful business. The rentals from the other units in her building soon paid off the construction mortgage.

In 1986, Mary decided it was time to retire. She sold her business and moved to Sun City West, Arizona.

In spite of her success Mary was a kind and loving person. Her beauty and charm brightened the hearts of everyone that had the pleasure of meeting her. Her whole life was built around caring of others. A few of her written quotes were: “Seek beauty in nature and other humans,” “Notice the goodness and beauty in everyone you meet,” “find the good everywhere and in everyone you meet,” “tell at least two people why you’re grateful for them.”, seek opportunities to offer that which uplifts others.” This is what made Mary the person that she was.

The love and respect that Mary shared with others in her personal life is now receiving the Lord’s personal love and respect in her death. We will miss her!

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Eulogy

by

Katherine Hemmens

There was something about Aunt Mary. Always! When she entered a room the atmosphere changed; she lit up the room. One couldn't look at her without smiling. It was always that way. For a time, when she was excited about something, she would exclaim, "Ooo La La" in a dramatic fashion. We were all delighted with her style. But, that shimmering style was anchored in something deeper; deep devotion to God and her fellow humans. She was such an example for us. She worked from the inside out; meaning she developed a core of love, joy and gratitude and let it flow out, from within, to the rest of us.

She was our beacon of positive mental attitude before it was "en vogue."

I was looking through some of her old writings, and these are thoughts or mantras she told herself:

• I feel good

• I feel healthy

• I'm feeling relaxed and calm.

• I'm loving and accepting myself as I am.

• I'm finding the goodness and beauty everywhere, and in everyone.

• Silence is medicine

• I am expanding the level of appreciation for all of my life.

• Pause, and praise other people's abilities.

• I assume I am already in the process of healing.

She was lovely and kind. I am grateful to have known her. She was gift to us all.

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Eulogy

by

George P Boucek, Jr

A Memorial, is a time of remembrance, a sharing of special memories and today I would like to share with you my memories of:

Mary Wakelee Waldron

My wife Karen and I come to Arizona in the winter time to escape the rain and cold of Seattle and Bernie is my mother’s brother. We didn’t know Mary that long but she had a knack for building memories quickly.

I remember walking with her into the Heritage dining room and her ability to personally greet everyone there and bring joy to them by recalling pieces of personal information about each. She always demonstrated that she cared.

I remember our outings to Spring Training baseball games which she looked forward to with great anticipation. She would get to the park ready to enjoy the whole experience from cheering the team to eating the peanuts and throwing the shells on the ground (that’s what you do at a baseball game).

I remember the pleasure she took in recounting her travels with Bernie. With pictures a-plenty she and Bernie would bring the memories of their trips to life with anecdotes of their adventures.

I remember the love she shared with Bernie. One evening while sitting in their cottage after Bernie did something particularly gentlemanly (not necessarily very politically correct these days) Mary said with a twinkle in her eye “He’s such a great guy, I just love him to pieces”. Then Bernie made her laugh by saying “Why just two why not four or six pieces”. Theirs was a special relationship.

I remember her sparkling eyes when she was happy. There were a lot of sparkling eyes because Mary had a strong sense of humor and a love of life.

I remember her welcoming family and friends always smiles and hugs ready.

Above everything else, I remember Mary as LOVE, deep and unconditional love for God, for Bernie (especially for Bernie), for her family and friends and for life in general. I would like to focus on Mary’s love and joy for the rest of my remembrance. For Mary, love was a way of life, it was an integral part of her very fabric. She loved the experiences and adventures of life. She loved meeting people and sharing herself with them.

Uncle Bernie shared with me some notes Mary wrote to herself as guidelines for her life and I would like to share just a few of those with you as they relate to love and joy she found in living. She said “ I love my life. I do what makes me happy and I move forward in joy”.

Here are her ten commandments to herself:

1 Seek joy first and foremost

2 Seek reasons to laugh

3 Seek reasons to offer words of praise in self and others

4 Seek beauty in nature and other humans

5 Seek reasons to love in every segment of every day. Look for something that brings forth

within you a feeling of love.

6 Seek that which is uplifting.

7 Seek feelings of wellbeing.

8 Seek opportunities to offer that which uplifts others.

9 Know that your values can be measured in terms of joy.

10 Acknowledge your absolute freedom to do any of these things, because to do any of these things is, without exception, your choice in every moment of every day.

Finally she said “I’ve been accepting every compliment and every present with joy, pleasure and gratitude. All the blessings that I have, have been given to me by God. I am at peace with life. It is with an open mind that I see all sides of an issue. There are endless ways to do things and see things. I am safe; I am at peace with life”

These notes give us a real insight as to the kind of person Mary was and how she will be remembered.

I'd like to close with the thought that, when God puts us here on earth it is just on loan, and He wants us back. In the time that Mary was on loan to us she made the world a better place. I know that she will continue to live through her family and friends who all carry a part of her in their memories and also in the hearts of all of those that she touched while she was on loan to us. Finally, I know for sure that when the time of loan for each of us is up and God calls us home, she will be there with smiles, hugs and kisses ready for us all.