Thursday, April 29, 2021 at 10:00 a.m.
Leister, Mary Frances
MARY FRANCES LEISTER (Rohovie) passed away peacefully on April 22, 2021 at the age of 96.
MARY FRANCES LEISTER (Rohovie) passed away peacefully on April 22, 2021 at the age of 96.
She is survived by her daughters Patricia (Norbert) Boehm and Betty (Ian Brock) Leister as well as grandchildren Nigel (Ronelle) Boehm, Eve (Jeremy) Hendricks and Christian (Jessica) Schacher as well as great- grandchildren Piper Hendricks, Theodore and Frederica Boehm. She is also survived by sister Helen (Al) Ferenz, Sylvia (John) Marshall, brother Dan Rohovie and sister- in- law Margaret Rohovie as well as many loved nieces and nephews.
She was predeceased by her beloved husband Frederick Albert (Fred) Leister and her much loved daughter Loretta (Lori) Leister.
Mary was born in Coalhurst September 18, 1924 to parents Lilian and Nickolai Rohovie, immigrants from Romania. Mary completed her education in Coalhurst and Lethbridge, later attending Alberta College specializing in accounting and shorthand. She had many jobs including working at a grocery store, an insurance office, and 10 years as a paralegal at a law firm. She was said to be extremely proficient in her shorthand and book-keeping abilities. In her spare time, she worked as a volunteer for many organizations such as the Catholic Women's League, the Soup Kitchen, the Cancer Clinic, elementary schools, the Lethbridge Symphony Association and the hospital auxiliary. She was also a breast cancer survivor herself.
Married in 1945, Fred and Mary bought Brown's Music Store in 1953, later renaming it Leister's Music. Leisters was a well- known local Lethbridge business for many decades. Mary would always be seen book- keeping at the store and fishing through records or sheet music - a whirlwind of efficiency! Mary and Fred also owned a hobby farm, which Mary loved and where she planted flowers, vegetables and occasionally kept cows and chickens. Her beautiful gardens were featured in the Lethbridge Herald.
When Fred passed away in 2000, Mary eventually moved into her condo at Martha's House where she lived independently until 2020. She had many wonderful memories of Martha's House and was so appreciative of the staff and residents who made it a wonderful place to live. Due to her higher care needs, Mary moved to West Highland's Care facility in September 2020 during the first wave of the Covid Pandemic. Given restrictions, her ability to maintain connections and visitation with loved family and friends was limited. This was difficult for her family and Mary especially.
Mary and her family would like to thank the residents and staff at Martha's House as well as the West Highlands Care facility, her doctor of many years Clair Forestell, and the Chinook Regional Hospital staff, especially Dr. Plotnyk.
A Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Thursday, April 29, 2021 at 10:00 A.M. with Father Derek Remus celebrating. The Mass will be live streamed and may be accessed via Mary's obituary on the Cornerstone website.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation or the Canadian Cancer Society.
Guestbook (24)
Share a memory or send a tribute in memory of Mary.
I recently learned of the passing of Mary and I wish to express my sincere condolences to all that grieve. She was an amazing woman. I enjoyed every visit I had with her, the last being in 2018. It is very sad that she was unable to maintain close contact with others during her final days. She was such a social person and was dearly loved by many.
dear Pat & Betty - your mom was a gem and we will miss her....she was a companion of my mom's at Martha House and a joy to talk to every time I visited. Despite her declining physical health over the past few years, she continued to enjoy conversation and always showed a keen interest in the people around her. She was a very dear person to both of us. Our thoughts are with you. Jane & Lorna Cordeiro
Our sincere condolences to the Liester and Rohovie families
I met Mary and Fred Leister at the age of 15 when I got a waitress job at the famous Paramount Coffee Shop! Wonderful people, friendly, interesting and full of great stories! I was gifted a lovely silk scarf when they returned from a trip to France! I still cherish it honestly! I was sad to see her obituary today. My father passed away on April 26th, and while checking his obituary today I stumbled upon Mary's . Its difficult to lose a parent, I lost my Mom in August last year. She also knew Mary!! Rest in Peace?My condolences to your family.
I have only know Mary a few short years and they have been enlightened by having her and her family in my life. She treated me as a son and was never shy in expressing her love. I will miss her exuberance and kindness and remember her gracious generosity in welcoming me into her fold. I will miss trips to the park (particularly her dance moves), Chinese food, casinos and hitting thrift stores with an unbridled passion and energy as well many leisurely meals at Martha's House. Thank you Mary for all you have given me.
Inspiring Mass; so glad to attend virtually. Mary was a fine person who was an inspiration to her family and to all who knew her.
Hello, Pat. Really enjoyed and valued your mother. She was a gem in my life, dating back to her taking that Soc of Religion course in the spring of 1979. She attended a couple of my presentations over the years, and wrote me a precious letter about 15 years ago expressing her appreciation and support of my work. What a gift she was. Thanks be to God for her life.
Mary was a very special person and I hold the fondest of memories of her in my heart. May good memories bring comfort to you all in the days ahead. Karen
I am an appreciative longtime friend of the family and Maty inparticular.
Dear Pat and family, My thoughts and prayers are with you for your peace and comfort.
Our thoughts and prayers are with you all during the service. Sorry we can't all be together.
I've known Mary my entire musical life. Her encouragement and support will be with me the rest of my life.
Love to the family. I'll always remember Mrs. Leister's sparkle in her eye and pixie like smile.
So sorry for your loss
Fred and Mary hired me part-time to sweep the floor and empty the garbage...at age 15. I worked with them for 14 years. Better than a university education. Thank you Fred and Mary for all you shared and taught me about life. Respectfully, Michael Golia.
Patricia, Betty and family Sending our sincere condolences to you and your family. Richard, Grant and Stacy Henderson
Sending heartfelt love for your family at this sacred time. May God's peace surround you as you navigate through the coming days. Love and prayers, Diana
We have such fond memories of Mary, always so kind, taking time to catch up on and share family news, and always so helpful no matter what we were looking for. Our condolences to Pat, Betty, and families on your loss.
My memories if your Mom was of a caring, gracious, welcoming woman to all she encountered. Betty, have fond memories of our times together. God bless and keep her.
Dear Leister Family I remember your mother with great fondness. I had the privilege of working at Leister's Music while I was attending the U of L. Mary taught me a great deal about the music industry, and how to deal respectfully and kindly with the many and varied loyal customers that frequented the store. But what I remember most was her ability to add up the huge columns of numbers on the orders and sales we would make; this, of course, was all pre computerized cash registers and she could just whiz through the numbers and she never made a mistake! She certainly helped me improve my computational skills often having to call me back into the office and gently ask me to recheck the totals. I remember how proud she was of her girls and was always eager to share their latest achievements. Her faith was unwavering and that, too, set a good example for me. Mary's twinkling eyes and infectious smiles and laughter made our workplace environment fun. I know you will miss her but she leaves such wonderful legacy for your family to carry forth. Henny Hildebrand
My Deepest Condolences on the passing of Mary. As a fellow resident of Martha's House I have fond memories of many long chats and smiles shared with Mary. She was extremely proud of her Family and enjoyed sharing stories of their visits. Her move from Martha's , understandable as it was, left a hole in our community and she was deeply missed. May you all find solace in memories of good times past and comfort in knowing she is at rest with Family gone before.
Mary was a wonderful and a very kind soul. I feel so blessed to have known her for the past eight years that I have worked at Martha's House. She was such a pleasure to see each day and her kind words of encouragement everyday made my life very special. She will be missed and never forgotten. May she rest in peace. We are all better people for meeting her. My condolences to the family.
Condolences to you all .l enjoyed working and visiting with her
So sorry to hear. I will always remember the fun I had working for you