Mary Laverne Sekyra, age 76, of O’Fallon, Missouri, passed away on Sunday, June 30, 2019, after a long and courageous battle with cancer. She was born in St Louis on March 21, 1943, to Thomas and Mabel Kiely (nee Prendergast). She was the second youngest in a large Irish family of seven siblings. Mary was the beloved wife of Ray Sekyra, who passed away in 2003. She was the proud and loving mother of four daughters: Lisa Stocker, Wendy Bresnahan and Molly Sekyra of O’Fallon, Mo., and Amy (Doug) Eilering of Wentzville, Mo. She was an adoring and devoted grandma to Nicole Sekyra (Ryan Martin), Jay Bresnahan, Steven Stocker, Colin Eilering and Maura Eilering. And she was great grandmother to Kayson Martin, who was born this past Thanksgiving Day and a source of great joy for Mary for the past seven months. Mary was the loving sister of Joyce Schmit. She is also survived by her close family of nieces, nephews, sisters-in-law and other relatives, and she is missed by many old friends who were an important part of her life for 70 years or more. In addition to her husband, Mary was preceded in death by her parents and brothers Tom, Ed, Bob and Jack Kiely and sister Dorothy Reiter, as well as other beloved family members and friends.

Mary was a beautiful, outgoing girl who applied to be an American Airlines flight attendant at age 19 and was accepted into the selective program. Her family was so proud, as she was the first to embark upon an adventurous journey like that. It seemed that half of St. Louis showed up at Lambert Airfield to see her off on her first flight. She lived in New York City for a time, but eventually returned to St. Louis to be closer to her many family members and friends. She then met and married Ray Sekyra, her husband for 38 years, and they raised their daughters in Florissant, MO.

Mary was a kind and loving soul who enjoyed nothing more than spending time with her daughters and grandchildren. She was very involved in their daily lives, often giving them advice and ideas (solicited and unsolicited). She was skilled in the kitchen, preparing countless large meals for her family and anyone who would stop by – the more the merrier, as far as she was concerned. Her well-loved recipes, such as her famous potato salad and apple pie, will live on, thanks to her daughters. Mary was known as a talented dancer in her younger years and even in recent times, particularly the jitterbug with her sister Joyce – a highlight of many Kiely family weddings. She was blessed with an incredible memory and was the keeper of countless family stories. She also had a wonderful sense of humor and loved to laugh.

Above all, Mary was proud of her children and grandchildren and full of love for her entire family. She will be greatly missed, and her absence will leave a huge void for the many people who loved her.

Visitation will be Friday, July 5, 2019, from 4 to 8 pm and Saturday July 6, 2019, from 9 to 10 am at Newcomer Funeral Home, 837 Mid Rivers Mall Dr., St Peters, MO. Funeral Mass will be Saturday, July 6, 2019, at 10:30 am at Assumption Catholic Church, 403 N. Main St., O'Fallon, MO. Interment will be at Our Lady Cemetery, Lake St Louis, MO. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Mary Queen of Angels, 427 W. Terra, O'Fallon, MO 63366.


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