Mary Bruchs

1954 - 2021

BRUCHS (Neatherton), Mary Beth

66, of Dayton, Ohio, passed away peacefully among family at Hospice of Dayton on July 14, 2021, after a short battle with cancer. She was preceded in death by her parents, John and Jeanne Neatherton and her brother, Pat Neatherton. She is survived by her loving husband of 43 years, Greg; her son Brian (Jeana) of Charlotte, NC; daughter Hallisy (Brian) of Denver, CO; and son John of Cincinnati, OH; her beloved grandchildren, Kieran, Finley, and Patrick Wells; sisters Jan (Mike) Rotterman and Terri Garfield (Bill Edgar); brothers John (Ann) Neatherton and Mike (Maria) Neatherton; her dog Poppy and granddogs Wells and Comet; and many other nieces, nephews, family members, and friends.

Mary Beth was born in Xenia, OH, on September 3, 1954, the youngest daughter of John and Jeanne Neatherton. After graduating from Carroll High School in Dayton, OH, in 1972, she attended Ohio University and Wright State University, graduating in 1977 with a bachelor of science degree in

education. She later obtained her Masters Degree in Early Childhood Education from the University of Dayton in 2001. She taught school for over 30 years, with her most impactful experiences being an intervention specialist at Dayton Public Schools serving young, disadvantaged children.

Mary Beth was many things to many people, but at her best she loved, selflessly dedicating herself to making others feel special. This was most notably manifested in her relentless

devotion to being Mom, or "Momma," to her children and in particular her son John, who, despite being born with cerebral palsy, never missed out on the experiences and joys of life, thanks to the efforts of Mary Beth. She had a gift for making everyone feel special and making seemingly normal days

special. The little stuff mattered to her and it meant a lot to her family and all around her.

Her knack at being a Mom translated into her being an awesome and fun "Mawga" to Kieran, Finley, and Patrick Wells. Mawga loved making her grandsons smile – some of their

favorite activities together included building forts, reading books, walking on the beach in Nantucket, hiking in the Grand Tetons, playing at the park, doing the Charlotte turkey trot, and enjoying a lot of ice cream, among countless other activities.

Mary Beth found joy in her journey - spending time outside and at the beach, searching for shark teeth in Venice, FL, catching some rays with her sisters on Siesta Key, going on long walks, eating a lobster roll and enjoying a sunset on

Nantucket, watching a baseball game, or sipping an ice cold Coke. She was an avid sports fan and loved watching the Reds and Buckeyes and showing off how much more she knew about sports than any of her other family members.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Saint Joseph Home of Cincinnati, where John has lived and been cared for for 33 years (www.stjosephhome.org/giving-and-donations/). A small celebration of Mary Beth's life will be held in the fall. Condolences and other remembrances may be sent to the family at www.mccolaughfuneralhome.com.