Mary Frances Tomek

Mary Frances Tomek (Carroll), age 93, passed away Sunday January 3, 2021 in Towson, Maryland. Born May 22, 1927 in Jersey City, New Jersey. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Lawrence Tomek. Mary is survived by her loving children Robert Tomek, Karen Bennett (Robert), and Susan Parts (Chris); 16 grandchildren; 28 great-grandchildren; and 7 great-great-grandchildren. At the age of 4 Mary moved to Lakewood, Ohio. She met Larry at Lakewood High School before he headed to the Pacific to serve in the Coast Guard during WWII. They were married October 2, 1948 and moved into their own home in Parma, Ohio in 1955. Mary worked as a secretary for the Houghton Mifflin Publishing Company in downtown Cleveland until she and Larry started their family, at which time she became a full-time mother. Mary was a talented seamstress, embroiderer, and knitter – her specialty was matching mother-daughter outfits. She belonged to a lunch group that occasionally sewed (or a sewing group that lunched, depending on who you ask). An avid music lover (particularly jazz), Mary played piano throughout her life and began taking clarinet lessons at age 90 with aspirations to play big band tunes. She enjoyed reading the wide variety of books her grandchildren provided her, but she loved mysteries the best. She was a big fan of Jeopardy! and would tell us how many questions she answered correctly each evening. Mary was a thrill seeker who liked to go fast. As an 80 year old she was spotted on the back of a speeding motorcycle, riding in a four-wheeler out in the woods, and copiloting her grandson’s truck doing donuts in a country field. She was first in line when rides in a friend’s red Ferrari on a long straight road were being offered, and she never missed a chance to go to the auto races with her son and daughter-in-law to see her favorite – the Top Fuel Dragsters – the quickest accelerating racing cars in the world. In 2019 Mary moved in with her daughter in Towson, Maryland. Her willingness to try (almost) anything – even kale – meant she filled her time with dinners out, Bananagrams games, concerts, track meets, and low-key family fun. Mary spent much of her life caring for others; her children, mother, aunt, mother-in-law, husband, and grandchildren. Her legacy is one of loving relationships. A celebration of Mary’s life will be held in Parma, Ohio this summer. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association online at alz.org or by mail to 225 N. Michigan Ave. Floor 17 Chicago, IL 60601

Mary Frances Tomek

May 22, 1927 - January 3, 2021