Mary M. Mayer

Mary M. Mayer, 74, died at her home in Bismarck, ND, on March 24, 2015. Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 12:30 pm Tuesday, March 31, at Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, Bismarck, with Rev. Msgr. Thomas Richter officiating. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service. Cremation has taken place. Burial will be held at St. Mary’s Cemetery, Bismarck. Mary was born March 8, 1941, in Bismarck, to Alvin A. and Mary Cayou Mayer. She attended Cathedral Grade School and graduated from Bismarck High School in 1959. She was active in the choir and drama, starring in an opera in one act, “Amahl and the Night Visitors.” She graduated from the College of Saint Catherine in St. Paul, MN, with a degree in occupational therapy. She worked in her field in Virginia, Hawaii, the J. Hillis Miller Health Science Center at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, Long Beach, California, and Denver, Colorado. She also taught kindergarten while living with her aunt and uncle, Col. James and Virginia Kilgore, at an airbase near Madrid, Spain. She returned to Bismarck in 1970. Mary loved art and music and had an accomplished singing voice in her school years. Mary lived life on her terms. She was a resolute person and usually got what she wanted. A nephew characterized her as “tenacious.” Some said she should have worked for the CIA. She could reach a corporate head of GMC or an admiral of the U.S. Navy on the phone whereas mere mortals wouldn’t have gotten a foot in the door. Mary had the gift of gab from her Irish heritage. She had a good sense of humor and was a marvelous story teller. She also had a prodigious memory which allowed her to recall events, conversations and even meals years afterward. She enjoyed her many friends and the times they met for lunches or dinners and other special occasions. She loved to celebrate family occasions, especially her birthday which she often planned for weeks ahead of time. She is survived by her brothers, Thomas (Jan) Mayer, and Dan (Kathy) Mayer, of Bismarck; and Steve Mayer, of Washington, D.C. and Bismarck. She is also survived by her nephews and nieces, Thomas C. Mayer, Wendover, England, Suzanne (Steve) Noakes, Blacksburg, Virginia, Matt (Onika) Mayer, Oak Creek, Colorado, Elizabeth Mayer, Steam Boat Springs, Colorado, and John (Kara) Mayer, Jennifer (Dave) Gronos, and Kyle Bergquist, all of Bismarck; and 11 grand-nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, Alvin A. and Mary Cayou Mayer. Memorials may be directed to Mental Health America of North Dakota, Bismarck, Seeds of Hope, Bismarck, or a charity of the donor’s choice.

Mary M. Mayer

March 8, 1941 - March 24, 2015