Marylou Beyer Pairitz

Marylou Beyer Pairitz – beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, aunt, cousin and friend – passed away peacefully at her home in South Bend, Indiana, on Dec. 5, 2025, at 87. She will be remembered for her deep devotion to her family, her beautiful smile, her humor and her kind and generous heart. She was deeply loved and will be profoundly missed by all who had the privilege of knowing her.

A rosary will be recited starting at 4 p.m. with open visitation following until 8 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 15, at Kaniewski Funeral Home on North Bendix Drive in South Bend. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 16, at St. Pius X Catholic Church in Granger, with visitation from 10 to 11 a.m. Burial will be at St. Joseph Valley Memorial Park immediately following the service.

Born on Feb. 23, 1938, in Mishawaka, Indiana, Marylou was the daughter of Alma Rose (Kronewitter) and Charles Frederick Beyer. She graduated from St. Joseph High School in South Bend in 1956 and later worked for the U.S. Navy Department, where she logged top-secret materials with precision and integrity.

On Sept. 27, 1958, she married her high school sweetheart, David A. Pairitz, and together they built a large and loving family. Marylou was a devoted mother to Gregory C. (Christina) Pairitz of Signal Mountain, Tennessee; David M. (Stephanie) Pairitz of Bristol, Indiana; Barbara Jean (Kenneth) Werbowy of Sunset, South Carolina; Todd A. (Anita) Pairitz of Cicero, Indiana; and Eric S. (Melinda) Pairitz of Granger, Indiana.

Marylou was a proud and cherished grandmother to Amanda (Andres) Pairitz-Campo; Hilary (Dan) Adkins; Samantha (Matt) Pairitz-Robinson; Alexandra (Travis) Pairitz-Knapp; Maria (Josep More´) Pairitz; MacKenzie (Westley) Pairitz-Innocenti; Annika Pairitz; Megan Pairitz; Ryan Pairitz; Derek Werbowy; Nathan Pairitz; Zachary (Trinity) Pairitz; and Ethan Pairitz. She delighted in her great-grandchildren – Irving Campo, Anabelle Adkins, Hudson Adkins, and Penelope Robinson.

She is survived by her sister, Jackie Beyer Massey of Boulder, Colorado, and sister-in-law Maryann Beyer of South Bend, Indiana. She was preceded in death by sisters Barbara Jean Beyer and Shirlee Ann Kaps; her brother, Robert L Beyer; and brother-in-law, Jack Kaps.

Marylou's welcoming spirit and gift for hospitality made everyone feel like part of the family. Her children and grandchildren cherish memories of Sunday dinners, weekends at the lake, reunions, and family vacations – times filled with warmth, love and laughter.

Her effervescence flowed from her deep Catholic faith and enduring love of God. That faith expressed through her steadfast love for her family, is the legacy she leaves behind.

Marylou also devoted herself to preserving her family's history. She meticulously researched and published a comprehensive family record chronicling her Kronewitter roots from 1823 in Bavaria, Germany, through Oct. 6, 2011.

"Far too often, we only remember the closest people in our families, as they are our immediate relatives. But family traditions, achievements and remembrances go far beyond those who are with us here and now. It goes back to the pioneers of our very being and the trials they endeavored to make available what we are so fortunate to have today."

– Marylou Pairitz