Mary Frances Gleason

Mary was born in Taylorville, Illinois on August 18, 1922 to John and Helen Babich, one of ten children born to this union. She was raised and educated in Taylorville, graduating from Taylorville High School in 1940. Mary married Edward W. Gleason on February 5, 1944 in Shreveport, Louisiana. She worked at First Federal Savings and Loan in Taylorville for many years. In 1971 Edward and Mary moved to Visalia, California where she worked as a Secretary for Sangamon Company for over twenty years. Mary was a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church, both in Taylorville and Visalia and was active with the Ladies Auxiliary at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Taylorville for many years. Mary was a kind and generous person and regularly contributed to many charitable causes.

Her greatest enjoyment was being a wife, mother and grandmother and caring for her family. She also enjoyed sports and attended many baseball games, especially the St. Louis Cardinals, with Edward. Mary was an avid fan of golf, had a keen interest in politics and was anxiously awaiting this year’s election results.

Her son, Dennis Michael (2009) and her husband Edward (2012) preceded Mary in death.

She is survived by her two daughters, Patty Kaufman of Milwaukee, WI and Mary Kay Shultz of Washington, DC; brother James Babich of St. Louis, MO and six grandsons: Ryan Gleason and wife Lauren, Andrew Kaufman and wife, Shaina, Daniel Kaufman and wife, Katy, Nicholas Kaufman, Peter Kaufman and Aubrey Shultz.

Memorial services will be held at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia where she will be laid to rest with her husband Edward.

Remembrances may be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, TN 38105 (www.stjude.org) or St. Mary’s Catholic Church, 116 W. Adams St. Taylorville, IL 62568

Tributes and condolences may be made at www.millerchapel.com.

Arrangements entrusted to Miller Memorial Chapel, 1120 W. Goshen Ave., Visalia, CA 93291 (559) 732-8371.