Mary Wangensteen Brink

Brink, Mary Wangensteen, née Mary Helen Wangensteen of Plymouth, died on Thanksgiving, November 25, 2010 at age 85 of natural causes. Mary was born September 18, 1925 in the Prospect Park neighborhood of Minneapolis to Helen Griffin Wangensteen and Dr. Owen Harding Wangensteen. She was the oldest of three siblings, sister of Owen (Bud) and Stephen. She attended Sidney Pratt Elementary School and graduated from Marshall High School in Minneapolis and then attended Wellesley College before transferring to the University of Minnesota, where she earned a B.A. in Sociology. Mary's father Owen married Sarah (Sally) Davidson in 1955, and Sally eventually adopted Mary. Mary remained exceptionally close to Owen and Sally for the rest of their lives. Mary met David Ryrie Brink in 1949, and they married in 1950. Together, they raised four children: Anne, Mary, David, and Sarah. They lived in Golden Valley, Edina, Deephaven, and Wayzata. Mary worked at a number of jobs -- as a real estate agent in Wayzata, as a salesperson at Polly Berg, and for many years as a receptionist at the Park Nicollet Clinic. Mary was a member of the Wayzata Community Church for over forty years. Her children and grandchildren were very important to her. Over the years, she remained close with friends from Prospect Park, Wellesley, the University of Minnesota, Edina, Deephaven, and Breconwood and enjoyed travel and playing tennis and bridge. In recent years, with failing health, Mary moved into assisted living, where she was regularly visited by daughters Anne and Mary, her son-in-law Jim Watts, and, more recently, her former husband and friend David. Mary is survived by her brother, Dr. Stephen Wangensteen of South Carolina; by her children Anne Carol Brink of Minneapolis, Mary Claire Brink Watts of Plymouth, David Owen Brink of La Jolla, and Sarah Jane Brink of Seal Beach, California; by her grandchildren Daniel Brink-Washington, Aaron Brink- Johnson, William Maguire, Marguerite Maguire, David Watts, Elizabeth Watts, Benjamin Brink Sweeney and Samuel Sweeney Brink; as well as by her former husband David Ryrie Brink. A memorial service will be held at Wayzata Community Church, 125 E. Wayzata Blvd., on Saturday, Dec. 4 at 2 pm. Those wishing to make a memorial donation can send contributions to the Wangensteen Historical Library of Biology and Medicine, 568 Diehl Hall, University of Minnesota, 555 Essex St. SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455 or to a charity of their choice.