Mary Immel
Port Townsend, Wash.
April 5, 1934 – May 17, 2017
Mary Immel, 83, of Mesa Arizona died suddenly on May 17, 2017. She will be deeply missed by her many lifelong friends, neighbors and family members. It is a blessing to know that she had been on a fun outing with her Mesa community the very afternoon she passed. The week before, including Mother’s Day she had been with her eldest daughter, Suzanne Kostelic of Elbert, CO, her husband Mark and their two children, Kole and Kadin, of whom she was exceedingly proud. In fact, she was visiting Colorado to celebrate Kadin’s graduation from college, (with honors) and her acceptance into a Master’s program in London!
The following days in Mesa she had time with her daughter, Laurie Sargis, who moved to Mesa three years prior to be close to her mom. They enjoyed making delicious meals together; watching British TV programs; and taking overnight adventures. Her youngest daughter, Sally Helman (husband Charlie, son Devon) still lives in Port Townsend after following her mom there 27 years ago. They had planned a mother/daughter rendezvous to Las Vegas, in the near future.
Mary grew up primarily in Southern California, attending Orange High School and Chapman College, both in Orange, CA. She made good friends and nurtured those relationships throughout her life. She met the father of her children, David Sargis, while just starting her teaching career, in Oakland, CA. Not long after they married they moved to Santa Cruz, CA where she worked at Natural Bridges and Branciforte Elementary schools, specializing in working with educationally handicapped children.
Mary enjoyed getting together with her teacher friends, which usually involved lots of laughter; being active at Garfield Park Christian Church and walking West Cliff Drive.A few years after her divorce from David, she reconnected with Richard Immel, a former college sweetheart and they married in 1985.
Upon her retirement in 1989, they visited and fell in love with Port Townsend, WA and promptly bought a Victorian home. Mary loved decorating for the holidays and hosted many happy occasions there. She enjoyed creating and tending to her beautiful gardens; feeding and watching the birds; reading; and beating most anybody at Scrabble. While in Port Townsend, Mary continued to be of service to kids, not teaching this time but volunteering as a Guardian Ad Litem, advocating for children in the foster care system. She also found a bit of a service project in a church. She said, “I visited a lot of nice churches, but this one needs me.” At the time, the church (Trinity United Methodist Church) had fewer than 12 members and nearly closed its’ doors.
Mary was also instrumental (so to speak), in co-creating the churches’ Candlelight Concert series, which happens still.She loved to travel and a found a travel companion in her sweetie, Joe Treece of Sequim,WA (also a college chum). They enjoyed a long-distance relationship following her 2nd divorce and spoke almost daily. But her biggest sense of joy and pride came from being an ever-loving and supportive mom, to her three girls.She is survived by her daughters,3 grandchildren, brother James MacAlistaire of Santa Rosa, CA and sister Lorna Haddox of Redlands, CA, as well as 4 nieces and 1 nephew. She was preceded in death by her mother Theresa Nora Retter, father William David Wellner and brother Timothy MacAlistaire.
There will be a memorial service for Mary, on Sunday June 4, at 1 p.m. at Trinity United Methodist Church, at 609 Taylor Street, in Port Townsend. Memorials, in Mary’s name, can be sent to TUMC or Guardian Friends of Jefferson County.Thank you.
