Mary Kay Alvina Newman, nee Zumwalde, 71, of O'Fallon, Ill. was taken peacefully in her sleep by the Lord on July 31, 2020.

Born July 27, 1949 in Richmond, Minn., Mary Kay was the oldest of five siblings and graduated from St. Boniface High School in 1967. She earned a BA in English from St. Cloud State University and was an active member of Sigma Sigma Sigma Sorority. One day, her college roommate and sorority sister, who worked for the Coast Guard on Governors Island, N.Y., invited Mary Kay to come for a visit and introduced her to a co-worker. This chance meeting on September 1, 1978, led Mary Kay to the love of her life, Fred. Once he held her hand, he never let go, and they married just a few months later on December 30th. Together, they raised three children, with frequent military moves, and settled in O'Fallon for the last 25 years.

With each move, Mary Kay easily immersed herself into the community with her friendly, engaging personality. She simply made every person she encountered feel special. She readily volunteered to lead a number of her kids' activities, including a youth bowling league and religious education classes; she also served as Vice President of the O'Fallon Township High School (OTHS) Band Boosters. Mary Kay worked in the OTHS Instructional Media Center for nearly 20 years before her retirement in 2015. In this position, she was "mom" to a countless number of students, who were drawn to her kind smile, patience, and open-minded listening and support. Additionally, Mary Kay served as a Eucharistic Minister for St. Nicholas Catholic Church and as a gracious greeter with the AARP Volunteer Income Tax Aide program.

An avid sports fan, she always rooted for the home team - the Saints, Red Sox, Yankees, Cubs, Bulls, Cardinals, and Blues - but she always kept a pulse on her original hometown team, the Minnesota Twins. She was a voracious reader who also loved challenging her brain with jigsaw, crossword, and Sudoku puzzles. One of her favorite activities was playing cards, and she kept a prized journal documenting scores and stories from each game.

Everyone who knew Mary Kay knew that she was a rare gem who loved and cared deeply for her family. The pride she felt for her children and grandchildren was evident in every conversation she had. Her role as Grandma was her favorite, and the one she was most suited to play. She was truly the compass of the family that guided their paths and the glue that kept them so close.

Mary Kay was preceded in death by her parents, Ralph and Linda Zumwalde, her brother, Gary, and her brother-in-law, Mark Zenner.

She is survived by her husband Fred, her children: Timothy (Evie) Newman of Champaign, Ill., Rebecca (Jason) Schroeder of Bend, Ore., and Sarah (Chad) McIntyre, of Kernersville, N.C., her grandchildren Jameson, Jordan, Dylan, Quinn, and Abigail, her sister Jeanne Zenner, her brothers Alan (Diana) Zumwalde and Brian Zumwalde, her aunt Dorothy Zumwalde, and numerous, fun-loving cousins, nieces, and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to one of three organizations: Friends of the O'Fallon Public Library, St. Nicholas Catholic Church, or OTHS Endowment Fund . Post your condolences at www.wfh-ofallon.com .

Visitation: The family will receive friends from 9:00 - 11:00 a.m., Thursday, August 6, 2020 at St. Nicholas Catholic Church, O'Fallon. (masks and social distancing are required)

Funeral: Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:00 a.m., Thursday, August 6, 2020 at the church, with Msgr. William J. Hitpas presiding. Burial will follow at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, St. Louis, Mo.