Mary Lou Pease

1937 - 2021

Mary Lou Pease
Mary Lou Pease, 84 of Midland, passed away Monday evening, March 8, 2021 in her home in Midland. She was born February 7, 1937 in Alexandria, Indiana, the oldest daughter of the late George W. and Martha L. (Noble) McDermott. Mary Lou graduated from high school in 1955 and attended Ball State University before graduating from Western Michigan University. Along the way she met Gordon Jerome Pease, and was married April 5, 1958. Mary Lou and Gordon resided in Kalamazoo, Marshall and New Baltimore Michigan before settling in Midland in 1965.
Mary Lou was an educator, and with her master's degree from Central Michigan University became an elementary school teacher at Mills, Longview, and Adams Schools in Midland until her retirement in 1999. Mary Lou was a member of the PEO Sisterhood, striving to enable and encourage young woman to further their education. She was an avid reader and believed that reading opened the mind to endless possibilities in life. She especially enjoyed reading to her Grandchildren and then Great-Grandchildren, instilling in them the lifelong love of reading.
Mary Lou was an artist, and chose many ways to express this gift. She enjoyed designing fantastic garden plans from which she created picturesque scenes of color and texture in her own back yard. She painted beautiful landscapes and floral designs, and enjoyed quilting and relished in the challenge of forming colorful layouts to catch the eye. A lover of all forms of art, Mary Lou also found joy in singing with choirs and watching performances at local theaters.
Mary Lou was social and enjoyed being involved in groups and clubs that represented her interests, including a Child Study Club, numerous Bridge Clubs, Book Clubs, and Garden Club. She became very invested in each of her interests, and most of her lifelong friendships were developed and nurtured through these activities. In later years she entered the world of genealogy, and invested her time in discovering each of her and Gordon's family's histories. Mary Lou made the family history come alive with stories for those who would listen, and preserved significant and detailed records for future generations.
Mary Lou loved her family. She had a million-dollar smile and was always happy to chat with friends and family over coffee or at breakfast. She was a great story teller but a better listener and loyal friend and wise counsel. Perhaps her greatest gift was her ability to see the best in people based on their promise, despite their current situation. For 27 years she quietly led her family through good times and bad with a lot of love and good humor. She instilled independence, strength and wisdom in her children, and embraced the role of Grammy to her eight adoring grandchildren. In the last few years, despite failing health, she focused on her great grandchildren as a great source of joy and pride as she was able to see the future of the family at hand.
She is survived by her children, Catherine (Kirk Hemmerick) Gohrband, Brian (Pamella) Pease, and Gerald Pease; grandchildren, Erika, Jeff, Gerred, Jennifer, Emily, Adam, and Abigail; as well as 8 great grandchildren. In addition to her parents, Mary Lou was preceded in death by her husband of 36 years, Gordon J. Pease, sister, Elizabeth Ann McDermott, and grandson Steven Gohrband.
A memorial celebration will take place at a later date to accommodate friends and family. Those planning an expression of sympathy are asked to consider the Salvation Army, Heartland Hospice, Midland Center for the Arts for flood recovery, or the Midland Area Community Foundation's Steve Marsh/Terry Stanton Endowed Scholarship Fund #667 or the West Midland Family Center Endowment Fund #901. Arrangements have been entrusted to the care of the Ware Smith Woolever Funeral Directors.