Mary Ann Sumpter

Mary Ann Rechtien Sumpter was born on August 2, 1928 to Henry and Irene Rechtien in East St. Louis, Illinois. She was the second child of Henry and Irene. Her older brother by 8 years, Henry Jr. wanted a sister or brother so badly and doted on Mary Ann. Her younger brother Robert was born 2 years later.

Mary Ann went to St. Patrick’s Elementary School and earned a scholarship to Notre Dame High School, where she graduated as the valedictorian. She went on to college also on scholarship to St. Mary –of- the- Woods College in Terre Haute, Indiana earning a degree in nutrition. After college she went on a tour of Europe and returned to do internships as a dietician in New York, and then joined the Army.

She did her basic training at Ft. Sam Houston in Texas and soon traveled to Ft. Ord, Monterey where she met her future husband, David Sumpter. She was a second lieutenant and he was a private. They were not suppose to date but true love won out and they broke the rules. After being honorably discharged from the Army, they were married.

They lived in Long Beach, Ca, where their first daughter, Louise was born and soon moved to Missouri where their son, Thomas and second daughter, Elaine was born. David finished his college degree in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Missouri and after working at McDonnell-Douglas for several years, they moved to Baltimore, where their last daughter, Julie was born. California soon called them to come home in 1962 and they basically raised their family in Santa Clara.

Mary Ann was very active in her children’s lives. She was involved in PTA and encouraged them to do well in school. She was also very active in her church, St. Justin’s, the American Association of University Women, and was an art docent at both San Jose Museum of Art and the Triton Museum in Santa Clara. She loved to visit museums and loved artwork of all types. She loved to swim and participated in water exercise. She also loved to travel and visited many countries throughout the world and has been to every State except Nebraska and Minnesota. Traveling with Mary Ann was always an adventure as she had to see everything!

She is lovingly remembered by her husband, David and her four children: Louise, Thomas and his wife Janet; Elaine and her husband Jim Schirle, and Julie and her husband, Jim L’Heureux., as well as nine grandchildren: Dan and his wife Ranjani, Michael, Kathleen, Colette and her husband Patrick, Mary, David, Marielle, Sarah and Scott.

She passed away on November 10, 2014 from complications of Alzheimer’s. In lieu flowers please consider a donation to the Alzheimer’s Association, St. Justin’s Community Ministry or a charity of your choice.