She was born to the late Lyle and Marie Thompson on June 18, 1935 in Stuart, Iowa. Mary spent her childhood summers at the family farm in Ackley, Iowa, picking strawberries and trying unsuccessfully to avoid being pecked by chickens as she collected the eggs. She graduated Salutatorian from Stuart High School in 1953. While at Iowa State University, was a member of the Sigma Kappa sorority and graduated with a degree in Chemistry and Technical Journalism in 1957.
After graduating from ISU, Mary moved to New York City and was employed by the McGraw Hill Publishing Company. She loved her time in NYC; the shopping, the theater, and the glamorous soirées where she (allegedly) met Truman Capote and Salvador Dali.
She met Richard Jackson in a chemistry lab while attending ISU and they married on June 18, 1959 in Ackley Iowa. They lived together in Washington, DC and Grand Island, NY, before relocating to Paoli in 1971.
Mary was an editor for Chemical and Engineering News until she retired in 1964 to become a mother and homemaker. She was Julie Child’s #1 fan and poured her energy into creating culinary masterpieces, planning awesome dinner parties, Super Bowl fêtes, and hosting Bridge for her dear friends. Always impeccably dressed, Mary loved going into the city to see an exhibit or treat her granddaughters to a musical and dinner at a local, chef-owned restaurant.
Despite all her fancy airs, we will remember her for her famous mispronunciations: “oofs in jellie” meant oeufs en gelée and clafoutis was “klahfootoe.” Nevertheless, she spoiled her family and we will especially miss her homemade gooseberry pies. The original green lady, she loved her vegetable and herb gardens and would spend hours picking asparagus and tomatoes in her signature summer outfit- swimsuit and flip flops. She loved to travel and took memorable trips across the US and internationally. Mary and Richard were opera fans and attended performances around the world and were season ticket holders to the Philadelphia Opera.
Mary is survived by her two daughters Kelda Marie (Georg Heidelmann) from Kansas City MO and Katharine Ann (Joseph Huebsch) from Golden Valley, MN; and also by her four granddaughters Amelia and Gretchen Huebsch and Sophie and Isabel Heidelmann.
A service will be held at Paoli Presbyterian Church.
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