April 5, 1936 – March 30, 2022
Sunrise in this life for Mary Ann was April 5th 1936 in Grafton, North Dakota. Sunset, was March 30th, 2022.
The only child of Wilmer and Mary (Knotek) Krile, she was raised by her maternal grandparents, Alois and Anna Knotek after the sudden death of her mother seven days after Mary Ann’s birth.
She was raised in a home of pure love, with aunts and uncles serving as siblings for her. When she began school in Pisek ND, she not only had to learn her ABC’s and arithmetic, she also had to learn how to speak English as her grandparents only spoke Czech. She soon not only learned English, she excelled at it. From early childhood, being a writer was her endeavor. Her writings as a young teenage girl are phenomenal and later, when busy being married and raising six kids, she wrote a story for a magazine contest (Woman’s Day) and WON! Her story was published nationally.
Mary Ann met her lifelong love, Maurice Metzger when she was a mere 16 years old. He joined the Army and left for Germany for two years, the both of them writing each other letters every day. During that that time Mary Ann worked as a theater ticket taker, a helper at the dry cleaners and as an assistant in a doctors office. A few days after Maury’s return to the states in 1955, they married and began their journey together.
Mary Ann took her role as mother to six and manager of the household very seriously and referred to it as her career. Once the kids were older, she assisted Maury in their business by taking on the role of credit manager.
Retirement brought them to Arizona where Mary Ann enjoyed every ray of sunshine. Though they missed their friends in North Dakota, new and wonderful friendships were forged in Arizona, some of them lasting for 40 years.
After losing her precious Maury in 2014, Mary Ann moved to Casita #5 in a Brookdale Community. She had never lived on her own before and she flourished! The life she did not get as a college student in her youth, she thoroughly enjoyed now, creating more deep and lasting friendships, dying her hair pink, green, purple, and sometimes all of the above.
In the words of her BFF Anne, “she was so much stronger than anyone would have thought after Maury died. It dazed her for a bit but then she went into high gear and made a new beginning. Women can do that because there is always someone who needs our nurturing. so we pull ourselves up, throw off the desire to hide under the covers and take one day at a time until we forge a new routine that allows us to live happily, regardless of the longing for our loved one, now gone, that hides in every corner. Then we sweep out the corner and place the particles that were there into our special memory box in our heart. And that brings comfort.”
Mary Ann will be dearly missed by many. She is survived by her children Michelle (Kelly Hall) Metzger, Maure Ann Metzger, Teresa (Todd) Sanders, Antoinette (Bill) Horrace, Madonna Swanson and Joey (Erin) Metzger. And grandchildren Jesse (Andrea), Troy (Jacki), Janelle (Michael) Danielle (Chad), Rebecca, Lukas (Andi), Klaire Ann (David), Jacob (Rebekah), Benjamin (Kailey), Ava (Dan) and Ian (Sara) and her great grandchildren, Grant, Scarlett, JamesKelly, Anthony, Mason, Victoria, Micah, Tyler, Levi and soon, a precious new great granddaughter.
Also cherishing her memory and missing her deeply are many friends near and far.
Mary Ann would want you to live in the spirit she did. No regrets, dye your hair, wear cool (Skechers!) shoes, pick up pretty rocks, and follow your dreams, no matter what.
Graveside services will be 9 am Monday April 4th, 2022 at Mountain View Funeral Home and Cemetery 7900 E. Main St, Mesa AZ. Arrive in time to go to front office and ask where ceremony will be held.
For those wishing to make a gift in her memory, family asks donations be made to Doctors Without Borders.
