Bellingham — Mary Ann Agnes Blythe of Bellingham, WA, passed away peacefully on Jan. 16, 2025, at the age of 98, surrounded by family. A beloved mother, sister, grandmother, and great-grandmother, Mary Ann will always be remembered for her love and devotion to friends and family.
Born on Oct. 31, 1926, in Melrose, Minnesota, Mary Ann was the second of six children born to Anna and Henry Riesner. She grew up in Granite Falls, WA. After graduating from Granite Falls High School in 1944, she and her sister Beatrice moved to Seattle where she worked for the Singer Sewing Company. Mary Ann returned home to marry her high school sweetheart, Robert (Bob) Blythe, and they settled in Robe, Washington where Bob’s father homesteaded. Mary Ann was a good friend and sister to Irene, Beatrice, Richard, David, and Judy, and they frequently celebrated birthdays and holidays and enjoyed backyard barbecues together.
Mary Ann led a very active life. She enjoyed cooking and baking, making cinnamon sugar treats with leftover pie crust with her daughters and later with her grandchildren, and spritz cookies at Christmas. When she and Bob moved to Sedro Woolley, WA, she began walking with some of the women who lived on her street and developed an interest in swans who are present in the Skagit Valley during the winter months. Mary Ann became an avid collector of swan figurines, jewelry, and artwork, basically anything with a swan on it. She also enjoyed volunteering with other Catholic parishioners for the St. Vincent de Paul Society. Toward the end of her time in Sedro Woolley, she lovingly cared for Bob at home until he passed away from cancer in 1989.
Following Bob’s passing, Mary Ann moved to Bellingham, WA to be closer to her daughter, Barb. She again made friends, this time with several women who lived in her condominium complex. They walked together, volunteered at a local food bank, and attended mass at Sacred Heart Catholic Church. She looked forward to weekly games of Michigan Rummy with friends from the complex. Mary Ann had enjoyed traveling with Bob but became a more adventurous traveler, taking trips to several European destinations including the Netherlands, London, Ireland, Switzerland, and Italy with her daughters and grandchildren.
Mary Ann had a quick sense of humor and remarkable determination to the very end. She lived independently in her own home until her 98th birthday when she moved to an assisted living facility. Unfortunately, she only enjoyed her new home for a short time.
Mary Ann is survived by her daughters, Betty, Barbara (Bob) Weber, and Nancy (Sulley Keehnel); grandchildren, Andrew Kitto (Silvia Triani), Joseph (Nick Tucker), and Anna (Matthew Cheng); and great-grandchildren, Luca and Lily Kitto; and her siblings, David Riesner and Judy Girven. She is preceded in death by her son, John Robert, and siblings, Irene Wellman, Richard Riesner, and Beatrice Lewis.
Per Mary Ann’s wishes, memorial services will not be held. Remembrances can be made in the form of a donation to the Bellingham Food Bank.
