Mary Rose Mayer

Mary Rose Mayer, nee Lescher, of Downers Grove, Illinois, died peacefully on August 31, 2025, at age 102, following a stroke in April. She was preceded in death in 2006 by her loving husband of 51 years, Joseph "Joe" Mayer. A woman of deep love, abiding faith, and boundless intelligence and curiosity, she was the heart of her family, to whom she was very devoted. We are grateful for her long, full life but she will be greatly missed.

With Joe, her six children and their spouses, eleven grandchildren, and one great-grandson were her great joy. Her children are: Joseph (Rita), William (Amy), Mary Beth (the late Joseph King), John (the late Mary Weiler), Thomas (Christine), and Rosemary (Scott Kryk). Her grandchildren: Lauren Banko (Andrew) and Michael Mayer; Natalie and Thomas Mayer; Allie and Kathryn King (fiancée Michael Clewlow); Joseph Mayer; and Andrew (Savannah), Steven, Dana (fiancée Austin Burant), and Renee Kryk. And her great-grandson: James Banko, born when she was 100. She treasured her lifelong relationships with her siblings and in-laws, and with her many beloved nieces and nephews, with whom she thoughtfully kept in touch, marked each important milestone, and many of whom she helped and mentored.

Born in Chicago on May 18, 1923 to Dr. Henry and Loretto, nee Kretz, Lescher Mary Rose was the eldest daughter of eleven children - Henry (Dorothy), Robert (Katheryn), George, William, Charles (Beverly), Alfred (Theresa), John, Dorothy, and surviving siblings, Bettianne (Anthony) Pucci, and Loretto (John) Carr. Her family lived in Chicago while she was growing up.

Mary Rose's many lifelong friendships were a source of deep pleasure. Among many others, she continued to gather with her "club girls" from Alvernia High School until recent years when all the others had passed away. She also built lifelong friendships in college, and they shared many travels together.

After earning her Bachelor's Degree from Rosary College (now Dominican University) in 1944, she went on to receive her Master's in English Literature from the University of Chicago. Adventure beckoned soon after, and from November 1945 to July 1947, she taught English in the then-territory of Hawaii-an experience that brought many cherished memories, including learning to do the hula and play the ukulele, the warmth of her students, and the fresh mangoes they brought her each day. During her two years in Hawaii, calls to her family were rare and difficult and had to be arranged through a U.S. Army base.

Upon her return, she entered DePaul University College of Law in 1947, earning her Juris Doctor in 1950; she was the only one of three women in her class to finish in three years. A trip through Europe after her graduation was the first of many travels abroad and throughout the United States that would bring great enjoyment.

In an era when private law firms hired female law graduates as secretaries, not attorneys, she accepted a legal position in the office of the Illinois Secretary of State. After pausing her career to raise her family, she returned to her work in later years as an attorney for the IRS, deeply valued by her colleagues.

It was as a member of the Catholic Alumni Club of Chicago that she met her future husband. At a winter outing in Wisconsin, Mary Rose twisted her ankle while walking across the parking lot and Joe drove her to a local hospital to make sure it wasn't broken. They were married in1954, and Joe became her lifelong husband and partner. They raised their family in River Forest, where she also served as a Village Trustee. Devoted parents, they guided and cheered on their children in all their educational pursuits and activities, setting an example for them of lives of faith, kindness, and a deep commitment to marriage. They were active in the St. Luke Parish and School community.

She and Joe cherished their travels around the world and began their next chapter as retirees in Oak Brook, where they hosted many family pool parties celebrating weddings, birthdays, and summer fun with their beloved grandchildren. As a grandmother, she shared her love of learning and travel with her grandchildren, taking each in turn on a special Road Scholar trip, visiting many national parks and historic areas of the United States.

In her later years, she resided at Oak Trace, a senior living facility in Downers Grove, making many new and dear friends. An avid reader, killer bridge and canasta player, and crossword puzzle enthusiast throughout her life, she also continued her lifelong learning as a member of their Current Events group, to which she made a number of great presentations.

Visitation will be held on Saturday, September 6th, from 9:00AM until time of closing prayers 10:30AM, at Adams-Winterfield & Sullivan Funeral Home, 4343 Main Street (1 block South of Ogden Avenue) Downers Grove, Illinois 60515.

Funeral Mass will be held on Saturday, September 6th, at 11:00AM at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 4801 Main Street, Downers Grove, Illinois 60515. Interment will follow at St. Joseph Cemetery in River Grove, Illinois.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to St. Jude’s Research Hospital or the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation.

Arrangements by Adams-Winterfield & Sullivan Funeral Home, (630) 968-1000.