Mary Foley

Mary Ellen Wallace was born in Butte, Montana on February 9, 1926 to Edna and Maurice Wallace. She moved to Helena and graduated from Helena High School in 1943. Immediately after graduation she moved to Spokane, Washington and entered nurses training with ambitions of being an airborne medic. That specific dream never materialized but she continued with her training and at the end of WWll she left nursing to work for the Spokane General Telephone Company. In 1948 at Bud’s Bar in Spokane she met a young good looking airman named Pete Foley whom she eventually married on July 20, 1951 in Yokohama, Japan.

Mary and Pete lived at many different places around the world. Together they lived in Eifukucho, Japan; Roswell, New Mexico; Richland, WA; Anchorage, AK; Travis AFB, CA; Darmstadt, Germany. A child seemed to appear at every new city until there were six fabulous children following them around - Mary Katherine, Karen Sue, Mitch, Teresa, Pat and Jeanne.

After Pete retired from the Air Force in 1965 the family settled in Citrus Heights, CA. Mary was involved with all of her kids’ activities including little league, girl’s softball, Job’s Daughters, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, 4-H and supporting events at all of the kid’s schools. She also loved to watch her grandchildren’s games, activities, sporting and school events. In 1980 Mary and Pete started a business supplying beneficial insects; this business continues to thrive today.

Mary and Pete loved adventure. Throughout their lives, they traveled most of the United States, parts of Canada, France, Holland, Switzerland, Hungary, Italy, Japan, and even went “behind” the Iron Curtain. They drove down the Alcan Highway when most of it was unpaved, pulling a small travel trailer. While living in California they enjoyed spending time along the rugged North California coast. Mary’s greatest joy in her later years was spending time at her grandkids events, going to lunch and movies, listening to and giving advice to her grandchildren, and thoroughly enjoying the resurrection of the Sunday Family dinner tradition.

Her family includes:

Mary Katherine and Henry Clark, and children:

Wendy and Jeff Kalac, and daughter Piper

Peter Clark and Audrey Hymas, and children Christopher and Lily

Karen Sue Foley

Mitch and Rhoda Foley, and children:

Cameron and Jennifer Foley

Teresa Foley

Pat and Eileen Foley, and children:

Kelly and Jose Sanchez

Nicole Foley

Jeanne and Sam Houston, and children:

Matt and Sammy Houston