Mary Elizabeth (Gleason) Grady

Mary Elizabeth Grady died May 4, 2019, at her home in Lynnwood, Wash., surrounded by family. She was 87 years old. The cause was cancer.

She is survived by her six children: Tim, Kevin, Sean, Mike, Jamie and Colleen; their spouses, partners and four grandchildren. She also leaves behind many beloved relatives and friends.

Ms. Grady was born in 1931, in the town of Ruthven, Iowa, to parents Mina Christina Olsen and Raymond Andrew Gleason. She was the youngest of seven siblings. Mr. Gleason was the Postmaster General of the town. The family lived at a boarding house owned by her two aunts, that served railroad workers coming through town on the Milwaukee Line.

She attended college at the Sisters of St. Joseph Nursing School in Fargo, N.D. where she completed a degree in nursing and became a registered nurse. For 40 years, Ms. Grady was an obstetrics nurse who assisted thousands of women giving birth and cared for their babies at hospitals in Seattle, Sunnyside and Longview, Wash. It was a calling and a career that she cherished.

She collected nature's beauty; filling her home with found objects from the outdoors. She loved anything made of wood, marveling at the myriad variations of color and texture in each. She played basketball as a youth and was an avid Mariners baseball fan. She was very proud of her Irish and Norwegian heritage.

Ms. Grady was precious to all who knew her. She was a mother, grandmother, aunt and friend. It was not in her nature to ever criticize or complain. While she was a seemingly quiet and thoughtful person, she possessed great strength. We will miss her.

Services are to be held at 11 a.m. Monday, May 20, at St. Pius Church, 22209 58th Avenue West, Mountlake Terrace, Wash. Inurnment will be at Holyrood Catholic Cemetery in Shoreline, Wash., at a later date.