Mary Louise (Ryan) Heinzinger

January 16, 1927 - February 10, 2019

Posted

Mary Louise (Ryan) Heinzinger, 92, passed away peacefully on February 10, 2019, in Helena, MT, of natural causes. She was a loving daughter, sister, wife, mother, and grandmother. We know Mom is enjoying her reunion with Paul, her husband for 59 years. Mary Lou was born in Sturgis, SD, on Jan. 16, 1927, to Marion and Arthur Ryan. She grew up in South Dakota and Wyoming. She attended nurses training at St. Joseph Hospital in Denver, CO. Afterwards, she headed west to California. She received her RN and physical therapy certificate, then worked at hospitals in Sacramento and the Bay Area before meeting her husband. In 1957, she met J. Paul Heinzinger at her surprise birthday party. They married in September and raised their 4 children in Sunnyvale, CA. She enjoyed caring for family and neighbors, often serving as the neighborhood nurse. She worked at Stanford Hospital in the Cardiac Care Unit for many years and then for the Red Cross Blood Services. She always wanted a college degree and completed her bachelor’s in Health Services at Saint Mary’s College in 1983. After living in Santa Cruz, CA for a few years, Paul and Mary Lou moved to Marrowstone Island, WA, in 1990. She enjoyed square dancing and gardening.

She was very active in the Nordland Garden Club. She enjoyed visiting her children and grandchildren. One of Mary Lou’s favorite past times was sharing good conversations with friends and neighbors. Paul and Mary Lou moved to Spokane, WA, in 2011. After Paul’s death in 2017, Mary Lou moved to Helena, MT, and lived in memory care. She continued to enjoy singing, conversations, attending church, and gracing everyone with her beautiful smile. Mary Lou is survived by her children-- Mark (Kathleen), Modesto, CA; Greg (Kerstin Pfann), Del Mar, CA; Nina (Dave Krainacker), Helena, MT; and Rita (Jim Mellema), Spokane, WA, and grandchildren Cooper, Becca, Miriam, Hunter, Peter, Cassandra, Matthew, and Talia. She is also survived by her sister, Jean Oxley, Cheyenne, WY, as well as numerous nieces and nephews. A Funeral Mass is scheduled for Friday, June 14, at 12:05 pm at St. Mary Star of the Sea, Port Townsend, internment at the Soundview Cemetery on Marrowstone Island, followed by a celebration at Nordland Garden Club 3-5 pm. In lieu of flowers, please donate in memory of Mary Lou to Nordland Garden Club, PO Box 131, Nordland, WA, 98358 or a charity of your choice.