Mary Ellen Raffetto

Our beloved mother, sister, grandmother, aunt, and great aunt Mary Ellen Raffetto, passed away on April 5, 2023, at the age of 69, in Leander, Texas.

Mary was born on July 3, 1953 in West Chester, Pennsylvania to the late Frank and Ellen Kaye. She was the eldest of five children born to them followed by sister Diane, brother Frank and two more sisters Teresa & Karen. Mary was raised in Houston living there until her retirement.

Among many of Mary's amazing qualities was her love of family. She always did whatever she could to bring us together, whether it be hosting the holidays or throwing parties with plenty of laughter and love. She would also gladly help wherever she could to help any of us with her legal expertise and guidance.

Important to Mary were political issues, in equal rights for all, and she never shied away from making sure you knew how she felt. She truly believed it was always a conversation worth having. She interacted with many Democratic leaders, even shaking hands with a Senator and a President.

She was also an avid fan of Houston pro sports. She always made it a priority to include family when she would often get tickets to the best seats in the house!

Mary was also an amazingly independent and highly intelligent woman. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from University of Houston. Mary was a dependable and successful Legal Assistant at the same Texas law firm for 28 years retiring in 2019.

She is survived by her ever-loving children daughter Kim Slade and son Charles “Charlie” (Anna) Slade; her grandson, Jordan Slade, three sisters Diane (Clint) Goodin, Teresa (David) Duvall & Karen (Chuck) Miller, as well as nieces and nephews Robert (Kerry) Kaye, Christine (David) Dane and Maddie Gola, Courtney Duvall, Kate Goodin, Rick (Sandra) and James Goodin, Lisa (Martyn), Jolie and Lewis Hunt, Ryan Miller, and her two beloved dogs Willie & Reilly. Mary's additional family members include aunts, uncles and cousins.

In addition to her parents, her brother Frank Kaye and dog Chico preceded her in death.

Services will be private at the convenience of the family.

In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to National Multiple Sclerosis Society, 1050 N. Post Oak Road, Ste. 240, Houston, TX 77055 or www.nationalmssociety.org/donate.