Mary Elizabeth Bast

Bast, Mary Elizabeth
Mary E. Bast, of Scottsdale, Arizona, passed away May 13, 2011. She was 86. Mary, the daughter of Sylvester and Elizabeth Stephenson, was born on January 31, 1925 in Anthony, Kansas. She grew up in Anthony and Wichita, Kansas; one of seven siblings. During World War II, Mary worked as an expediter for the Boeing Company in Wichita, helping to build B29 bombers. After the war, in 1947, Mary met and married Allan V. Bast, a former WWII Army Air Corps fighter pilot who was working for a flying service in Wichita. That year, Allan was hired as a pilot for Trans Continental and Western Airlines, which became Trans World Airlines. Mary and Allan subsequently moved to Kansas City, Missouri, where they raised five children. With the children grown, they settled in the Phoenix area in 1982. In her many years as a homemaker, Mary was actively involved in numerous roles in the community. She served as PTA President for Southeast Elementary School in the Park Hill (R-5) School District. She became an instructor for the American Red Cross and volunteered in the school district's health rooms. She was a county Republican Committeewoman and ran for Eastern Judge of Platte County, Missouri. She was a prodigious crafter and used her talents for the benefit of many in the community. Mary always enjoyed a good challenge, both for herself and others. She was an ardent gamesman, excelling particularly in bridge and crosswords. To know Mary was to love Mary. She was a beautiful, loving, encouraging friend, cousin, aunt, sister, mother-in-law, grandmother, mother and wife. She was simply an amazing woman who will leave behind a legacy of happiness and love. Mary is survived by her son Kevin and his wife Kelly and granddaughter Abigail; daughter Alana and her husband John McQuade; son Greg and his wife Melanie; son Jim and his wife Cynthia and granddaughters Olivia and Amelia, and Mary's sister Phyllis Florence. She is preceded in death by her husband of 59 years, Allan, and her son Stephen. Although the family's sorrow and sense of loss are immeasurable, we are grateful and blessed for the time we were given with her on this Earth. We are happy that Mary is once again free to roam to her heart's content. Services and interment will be held Tuesday, May 17th at 10:00 a.m. at Valley of the Sun Mortuary and Cemetery, 10940 East Chandler Heights Road, Chandler, Arizona, 85248. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Valore HospiceCare, 1660 S. Alma School Road, Suite 117, Mesa, Arizona 85210.