Mary Frances Blakey, 88 years and 4 days old, passed peacefully to Heaven on November 17, 2023 at Heart of the Ozarks Healthcare Center with her family by her side.
Mary was born November 13, 1935 in Kansas City, Missouri to Floyd Augustus and Lavern Irene (Sample) Sallaz.
Mary grew up in Kansas City. On August 30, 1957, Mary and Basil Blakey were married in Kansas City, Missouri. Together they had five children, Norman, Karen, Susan, Brian, and June.
She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Special Education and thoroughly enjoyed teaching for many years. She taught in Seymour and then later in Mansfield, MO. Mary loved and adored her students.
Mary was a Christian and a member of the Goodhope Nazarene Church where she enjoyed serving and later attended the Highway Church of the Nazarene.
Mary loved gardening, reading, playing the piano and most of all spending time with her family!
She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Basil; her siblings, Paul, Richard, Carol, Betty, Margaret and Jane.
Mary is survived by her children, Norman Blakey, Karen Blakey, Susan and Jerry Thomas, Brian and Teresa Blakey, and June and Don Hanger; 10 grandchildren; 13 great grandchildren; 9 great great grandchildren; two sisters, Judy and Roger Schmitz and Barbara and Stu Verbanac; her brother-in-law, George and Violet Blakey; her sister-in-law, Hellen Blakey; numerous nieces; nephews; other relatives and friends.
Funeral services for Mary will be Tuesday, November 21, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. in the Clinkingbeard Chapel, Ava, MO. Visitation will be prior to the service on Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. Burial will be in the Springcreek Cemetery. Officiating will be Pastor Brian Letsinger. Family requests memorials to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
