Mary Dutton Weis

Mary Dutton Weis
June 19, 1917 to May 26, 2011
Mary Dutton Weis passed away on May 26, 2011 at the MountView Retirement Residence, where she had lived since Oct. 2010. Mary was ill for much of her stay at MountView, but her last days were peaceful and content under the care of the MountView staff and Angels of the Valley hospice agency.
Mary lived a full and fiercely independent life for 93 years. She was born to Leo and Nellie Dutton on June 17, 1917 in Misericordia Hospital in Milwaukee, WI. Mary attended Immaculate Conception elementary school (Bay View) and St. Mary’s Academy. Mary was active in the Girl Scout organization through her high school years. She went on to the Spencerian Business College to learn administrative skills, while working part-time as a telephone operator, and as many other jobs as she could handle.
In 1942, Mary enlisted with the Coast Guard and rose to the rank of “Super Chief” as a payroll accountant (“storekeeper”), stationed in Boston to muster out soldiers and sailors returning from Europe during WWII. Mary was a founding member of Milwaukee’s first women sponsored American Legion post, and continued her military service with 20 years in the U.S. Navy Reserve.
After the war, Mary enrolled at Marquette University, to take business courses. Mary then took a position at the Pfister and Vogel tannery doing “piecework” payroll, then moved to Cuttler Hammer as a secretarial pool supervisor, and later became head of the personnel office for CH’s new Lincoln, Illinois facility.
While in Lincoln Mary met and married, Valentine Weis, and soon moved to southern California for Val to take a new job with Gladding-McBean (later Interpace) near Glendale. Mary enrolled at Cal State LA to take a teaching credential, and then taught for many years in the Glendale public and parochial school systems. In her later years, Mary was active in the Glendale Council on Aging; Montrose Holy Redeemer based “Pioneer Club”, Coast Guard SPARS, and local African Violet society.
Mary and Val traveled widely, and attended over 50 Elderhostels.
Mary was a true leader and lover of life, known wherever she went as a shrewd and assertive person, who minced no words, as she lived true to her principles and to her faith.
Mary was preceded in death by her husband, parents, and sister, Theodosia Dutton Pease. Mary is survived by nephew, Frank Pease, and nieces, Mary Pease and Helen Santee. Funeral arrangements through Woods mortuary will be a rosary on Wed. 6-1-2011 at 7 p.m. at the mortuary, funeral Mass at Incarnation parish in Glendale at 11:00 a.m. Thursday, 6-2-2011, and burial will be at the San Fernando Mission after the funeral.