Mary Joanna WALSER

Mary WALSER Obituary

WALSER, Mary Joanna

Mary Joanna Walser (née Desmond), known to her family as Mary Jo, died May 6, 2014 at the age of 95.
She was born April 13, 1919 in Los Angeles, the daughter of silent film actors William Desmond and Mary McIvor. She appeared in several films herself, with a particularly charming turn as Abbie Kirby in the serial western The Last Frontier, one of her father's last film appearances. The goddaughter of silent film legend William S. Hart, she spent her early years in the Hollywood spotlight, photographed as the pampered child of the glamorous couple living on DeLongpre Avenue, and showed an early inclination toward headstrong opinion when asked a question by a reporter, who quoted her as defiantly insisting that her daddy did indeed do his own stunts.
Among many other things, she will be remembered for her sharp intellect, high sensitivity, and interest in virtually every subject, as well as her love of beautiful things and culture. She often arranged little vases of cut flowers on her kitchen table, played classical music softly in the background all day long, and loved a good cup of tea.
She was a lifelong animal lover; her love of and empathy toward animals remains her greatest legacy.
She was preceded in death by her husband Robert Roy Robertson, son Robert Wallace Robertson, and husband Carl William Walser. She is survived by her son, Douglas Scott Robertson of Covina; sister Elizabeth Travis of Aptos; grandchildren Christian Hurley, Cherish Avila, Molly Robertson, and Travis Robertson; stepchildren Douglas Walser, Beverly Walser, James Walser, Elizabeth Walser, and Caroline Dennington; nephew William Kisselburgh; nieces Diana Decker, Helen Coelho and Roberta McGann, 5 great-grandchildren, 9 great-stepchildren, and 2 great-great stepchildren.
Interment is at Rose Hills in Whittier. A private memorial service for her family is planned, and they request that, in lieu of flowers, donations in her memory be made to the Pasadena Humane Society.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by Pasadena Star-News on May 18, 2014.

Memories and Condolences
for Mary WALSER

5 Entries

Diana Decker

May 27, 2014

Those of us who knew you our entire lives grieve the most. But as we reconnect, talk to each other, and exchange stories and impressions in an attempt to find comfort and understanding, we find that we are discovering new connections — connections that put family and people above all other considerations. I knew you well enough to know that you'd be surprised at this, and I treasure it as the gift you left to all of us who remain. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for this lesson. You hold a special place in my memory.

Stacey & Bob Guzman

May 20, 2014

Rest in Peace Mary. Learned a lot more about you & your life from this obituary. Just remember as a youngster, you had a donkey. Thought that was the greatest. Thanks for making Mr. W. (my 2nd Dad) so happy. You will be missed & always remembered. Hello to all that have gone before us. Rest well.
Fondly,
Stacey & Bob Guzman

Bev

May 19, 2014

As a child, with my playmates Bruce and Stacey, Mary let us sit on her donkey and play with her frogs and feed her birds.Her unconditional love she gave to her animals I will always remember

May 18, 2014

I didn't get to visit Grandma Mary often, but the few memories I have with her are sweet. My favorite memory of my Grandma Mary is the tea parties she would throw for us! She would bring out her beautiful silver tea set and teach us how to sit properly while sipping the tea. She taught me how to hold the teacup and how many sugar cubes were proper to use in our tea. Of course, she was also awesome enough to sneak a few extra to us. One other memory I've held onto is a shopping trip to Target we had taken. I had picked out a stuffed panda bear and we were on our way to the checkout when I came across a $20 bill on the ground. Grandma Mary gave me the choice to keep it or turn it into the cashier in case someone came looking for it. I remember it so clearly because she was so loving about it. We turned it into the cashier and I went home content with the panda bear. Grandma Mary loved her grandkids and asked about my brother and I often. I spoke to her a few weeks ago on her birthday and she was delighted to talk to my son, one of her great grandbabies, for a few minutes. Grandma, thanks for being there for my birth...it was a treasure to talk with you again before you went. Love you.

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Susan Walser

May 18, 2014

Mary Walser was my stepmother-in-law and I will always be grateful to her for taking a month out of her life to come to the Rio Grande Valley of Texas as we awaited the birth of my daughter Angelyn. We were living out in the middle of citrus orchards and watermelon fields - no close neighbors. She drove back and forth into town with me as I worked half days during the last weeks of my pregnancy. We had lunch at Luby's nearly every day. Mary was the first to give my little girl a dress with an angel on it. She will be dearly missed.

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