Mary Plesha Obituary

Mary Patricia Plesha
Born: February 16, 1936
Died: April 11, 2022
PORTAGE -- Mary Patricia Plesha, age 86 of Portage, Wisconsin, formerly of Chesterfield, MO, Mesa, AZ, Slidell, LA, Lyons and McCook, IL, and Boonville, MO, was born on February 16, 1936, to William and Virginia (nee Feldmann) Cleary. She passed into eternity after a brave fight with dementia on April 11, 2022, at Tivoli (Aspirus Divine Savior) in Portage, WI.
"Pat" ("Patty," "Mary Pat") attended Saints Peter and Paul Catholic School in Boonville, MO., graduating in 1953. She attended Quincy University for a year before marrying George F. Plesha Jr. on June 9, 1956. Her lifelong loves included anything musical, her piano, watching and accompanying musicals, theater, baseball, softball, basketball, bowling, children, animals, reading, wine, bird watching, anything social, and anything humorous no matter how obtuse or seemingly warped.
Her many employers included the Cooper County Record, Slocums, McAllisters Department Store in La Grange, Reynolds Metals, Hendrickson Mfg., Srains Foods, Northshore Mall in Slidell, and Jackson Hewitt Tax Service, but her main devotion was to her family. She was affirming and abundantly faithful in her love for her children and her love was reciprocated as she guided them through their childhood. Pat could throw a softball from third base to first with great speed and accuracy, play the organ at Catholic Mass, and still have enough energy and time to take in any stray kid in the neighborhood; their home was a magnet for children. Pat was a member of the Newcomers Club in Slidell where she reigned as Mardi Gras Queen in 1991 and was voted Woman of the Year with the organization in 1994.
She is preceded in death by her husband of 51 years, George F. Plesha Jr., her parents, her sister Sue Malone (nee Cleary) of Westboro, MA, grandson Damon Pallanti of Chicago, IL, and Sister-in-Law Joy (Fred) Zamecnik of Plano, TX. She will be greatly missed by her children Dr. Julie (Kenneth) McGwin, DVM of Montello, Wisconsin, Karen/Kiki (Brad Bridges) Plesha of Austell, GA, Terese/Terri Plesha (Elvin McCammond Jr.) of Justice, IL, David (Bonnie) Plesha of Mesa, AZ, Daniel (Sandra) Plesha of Portland, OR, and Bryan (Julie) Plesha of Aurora, IL, grandchildren Danielle (Frank Pucci) Pallanti, Sam (Aliona Krupskaya) McGwin, Maggie McGwin, Elvin (Amber Finn) McCammond, Patrick (Melissa Tipperreiter) McCammond, Claire and Gabriel Plesha, and Allison, Valerie and Cory Plesha, brothers William (Jessie) Cleary, James (Martha, deceased) Cleary, Michael (Diane/Dee) Cleary, brother-in-law James Malone, great-grandchildren Evan, Amalasuentha, Charlotte, Timothy, Oliver, and Camillo, and many nieces, nephews, other relatives, and friends.
Visitation will be at Hallowell and James Funeral Home, 1025 West 55th Street, Countryside, IL 60525 on Friday, April 22 from 4:00 – 8:30 PM. Funeral Mass will be celebrated at St. Mary Catholic Church at 105 Herrick Rd., Riverside, IL 60546 Saturday, April 23 at 10:00 AM with interment following at Resurrection Cemetery in Justice, Illinois. Donations may be made in her name to the Alzheimer's Association, 225 N. Michigan Ave., 17th Floor, Chicago, IL 60601-7633, http://www.alz.org/, or a charity of your choice.