Mary Ann Klimesh

1943 - 2020

Mary Ann Klimesh

Mary Ann Klimesh of Sylvania, Ohio, died peacefully at home from ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; also known as Lou Gehrig's disease) on December 16, 2020. She was 77.

Born in New Castle, Indiana, on January 28, 1943, Mary Ann was the daughter of Reverend William and Kathryn (Hessong) Butt. Upon graduating from Wittenberg University in 1965, Mary Ann taught second grade for two years at Waterford Township Schools (Michigan), where she met and formed lifelong friendships with six other teachers. Mary Ann married Don Klimesh on August 20, 1966. They lived in Michigan until 1988, when they moved their family to Lancaster, Pennsylvania. In 2004, Mary Ann and Don relocated to Northwest Ohio.

Mary Ann's greatest joy was her family. Over the years, especially when her kids were young, the family took many camping trips out west and in the northeast and visited a number of national parks. Laughter was always Mary Ann's favorite sound; she possessed a great sense of humor herself and also had a great appreciation for the witty humor of her family.

Another of Mary Ann's passions was quilting. Besides making dozens of quilts for family and friends, she also greatly enjoyed and actively participated in the Lutheran World Relief quilting group at St. Stephen Lutheran Church from 2014 until February 2020.

One of the highlights of her life was completing RAGBRAI (a week-long bicycle ride across Iowa) twice. She also enjoyed travelling and playing cards and other games with her family and friends. An avid reader, Mary Ann founded a monthly book club with her dearest friends of over fifty years, a group she led up until her death. Mary Ann maintained many other close friendships through her church and with her sorority sisters of Alpha Delta Pi.

Throughout her life, Mary Ann was a tireless volunteer, proffering her time for a variety of causes. When her kids were young, among many other activities, she volunteered at the school library and assisted with church activities.

In addition to her husband of 54 years, Mary Ann leaves behind her children, Douglas Klimesh of Ann Arbor, Matthew Klimesh of Pasadena, CA, Lia Klimesh of Sylvania, and Jessica Klimesh of Sylvania; her siblings, Gordon Butte (Maryann) of Medford, MA, and Allen Butte (Alice) of Springfield, VA; and cousins and nieces and nephews.

Mary Ann was preceded in death by her parents.

A memorial service will be held at a later time (post-pandemic).

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the ALS Association (als.org), the ALS Association Northern Ohio Chapter (webnoh.alsa.org), or St. Stephen Lutheran Church (ststephenlutheran.church).