MaryAnn Pearson

When MaryAnn Pearson walked into the room, those in her company felt a palpable energy. This was just one of many qualities MaryAnn had and how she impacted those around her. She was a clever and gregarious person who always sought out the finest attributes in other people. It was as if she wanted to share in all of their experiences, revel in their lives, and celebrate their discoveries. MaryAnn was tireless and seemed to have a boundless enthusiasm that served her well throughout her life.

Growing up for MaryAnn was like one big burst of spontaneity personified. She would join in with friends and family in just about anything. This made her life quite interesting and led to what would be a wide variety of memories. MaryAnn was born on June 10, 1942. She first greeted the world in Parkersburg, West Virginia. Her parents were Paul and Mary Hengler. Her parents were very religious, loving and hardworking. They were a very tight knit family with lots of love. She always had a lot of fun with her siblings. She grew up in Wheeling, West Virginia. MaryAnn had a great sense of humor and was a natural entertainer, able to keep the people around her amused with stories and tales. While some who knew MaryAnn might have described her as an idealist, her friends and family understood well that she was always in pursuit of life’s endless possibilities and opportunities.

MaryAnn was very accepting and supportive of her family. She was perceived as the central person in her family in terms of keeping communication open between the family members. Whenever discord or tension arose within the home, she was typically the person who tried to bring resolution and harmony. This quality, along with her quick wit, outgoing personality, and understanding of people were traits that drew the admiration of others and served MaryAnn well in her adult life. She was raised with nine siblings. Two older sisters: Nancy and Sally; six younger brothers: John, James, Michael, Patrick, Robert and Phillip. MaryAnn always got along with her siblings and was considered the "get away driver". MaryAnn's grandparents were Peter and Helen Hengler & Henry and Bertha Ferguson.

Even as a young girl, MaryAnn was able to empathize and identify with many different kinds of people. This quality drew her into a diverse group of friends and acquaintances. She was intelligent and had little trouble getting along with her peers. She was almost always the first to jump in when it came to playing games or participating in other childhood activities.

During her high school years, MaryAnn responded enthusiastically to any new project and was normally in search of one adventure after another. She graduated from St. Joseph's Academy, an all girls school. For her, school often became just an extension of playtime, thanks to her ability to turn just about anything into a game.

For MaryAnn, her life was just about as busy outside of high school as it was inside. With a talent for making friends easily, MaryAnn was very sociable and could blend without effort into any number of different social groups. Assertive and outgoing, she was easy to know and often demonstrated a deep concern for others. She always seemed aware of what was going on with people around her and throughout her life she made many, many friends.

MaryAnn was quite sensitive in all of her relationships. Robert William Pearson discovered this firsthand. Bob and MaryAnn met at a meeting, their connection was instant. Bob left a note on her car the first night they met, asking her out.

After many years of being together Bob took her on a vacation and announced they were eloping!

She exchanged vows with Robert William Pearson on March 25, 1988. It was a small wedding held in a chapel in Arizona. The wedding reception was very small and intimate.

MaryAnn's skill at “building bridges” played an important role in her ability to make her new family happy. She was quite sensitive towards Bob's needs, showing her constant concern and fondness. MaryAnn was tenderhearted and sensitive, qualities that served her well in helping to nurture her family. During those first years together, their first residence was a three level house in Westminster, California and later they went on to purchase a single level home in Garden Grove, California.

The couple made a number of good friends as they were building their family, everyone was a friend, they didn't know a stranger.

MaryAnn was a wonderful parent who wanted to provide for her family. She worked very hard to ensure her children never went without. MaryAnn had three children, Paul, Julie and Angela as well as a stepson: Robert. Later in life she raised two of her Grandchildren, Jennifer and Anthony.

Because MaryAnn was so attuned to her family, and especially the kids, she worked hard to raise them in a nurturing environment. In return for the energy she spent, the children often provided her with a great deal of pride and joy.

MaryAnn was uplifted by new ideas. New possibilities always seemed to excite her. These were traits which made her an exceptional worker. Probably the most unique or interesting job MaryAnn ever held was a waitress position at Pinnacle Peaks. MaryAnn’s primary occupation was working in the health care field. MaryAnn spent the last ten years working as a Patient Care Specialist in the health care center inside of Leisure World.

Though MaryAnn didn’t go out of her way to seek out personal accolades, they seemed to just naturally come to her. MaryAnn always received awards for outstanding customer service. Like in other aspects of her life, MaryAnn was able to make friends easily in the workplace. She developed strong friendships with many of her co-workers. She was enterprising, inventive, and often energized when working against deadlines. Her colleagues saw her as a supporter and a mentor.

MaryAnn loved to have a broad variety of activities in her life, and she pursued numerous hobbies. Some of her favorite hobbies were cooking and reading. She had a knack for being able to multi-task in order to create time for all of her favorite pastimes. However, MaryAnn's ever-present concern for others always took precedent.

She enjoyed many things throughout her life. When it came to food and drink, she enjoyed Steak, lobster and wine. She loved their dog Brandy, and enjoyed watching her play in the yard. She enjoyed reading, especially Danielle Steel, Jane Green and the Orange County Register. Favorites in movies and television included Dirty Dancing and Dancing with the Stars. She enjoyed Country music and loved the rain, especially the sound of it.

MaryAnn Pearson left us on April 5, 2011. She passed away at her home in Garden Grove, California. She was 68 years old. The cause of death was breast cancer. She is survived by sons; Paul (Lisa) Sangineto, Robert (Tabitha) Pearson, daughter; Angela Sangineto, grandchildren; Jennifer (Richard) Carleton, Anthony Eddington, Rylie and Karley Pearson, great grandchild; Gwendolyn Carleton. Services will be held on Friday, April 15, 2011 at 12:00 noon in the Westminster Memorial Park Main Chapel, Westminster Memorial Park, 14801 Beach Blvd, Westminster, CA 92683. (714) 893-2421

There was always a certain style and inventiveness to MaryAnn. She was a dynamic, self-expressive person who was forever looking to celebrate the endless possibilities life had to offer. She had a knack for being clever, creative, and witty. For others, she was a joy to be around. While she was often fiercely independent, many others looked to her for inspiration, leadership, wisdom, and even courage. MaryAnn Pearson was always more than willing to share life’s experiences with those she loved.