MARY WIDNER

Mary M. (Prichett) Widner, age 54 died Monday, February 23, 2015 after a nine year battle with breast cancer. She leaves behind her loving husband Gary P. Widner of Abrams, and two sons, Scott Widner (Samantha Gebert) of Appleton and Steven Widner (Katie Van Grinsven) of New London. She is also survived by her father, Joseph Prichett of Green Bay; one brother, Dr. Gregory (Becky) Prichett of La Crosse, and two sisters, Stephanie (Tom) Gandia of West Bend and Gail (Tom) Savage of Egg Harbor. Her loving mother-in-law, Betty Kellum of Arkansas City, Kansas also survives her. She is further survived by a very special aunt and uncle, Richard and Sandra Dirks of Egg Harbor, a very special uncle, David Kihl, of Algoma, and Godmother, Judy Stilp of Menasha. Mary had many cherished nieces, nephews, and cousins which she also leaves behind. Mary was preceded in death by her mother, Joyce Prichett, of Neenah; her father-in-law, Jay Kellum of Arkansas City, Kansas; grandmother-in-law, Elizabeth Davis; her grandparents, Leslie and Mary Kihl of Menasha, and George and Alice Prichett of Oshkosh. Her Godfather, Frank Stilp, also preceded her as well as many aunts and uncles. Mary graduated from FVTC in 1985 with an associate degree in nursing. She later returned to Marian University where she received a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing. Mary spent her career in various capacities, caring and advocating for the elderly and infirm, including Director of Nursing, Nursing Home Administrator, Certified Infusion Nurse, and nursing home regulator for the state of Wisconsin. Her most recent positions involved overseeing the nursing care and regulatory compliance in many nursing homes throughout multiple states. Mary considered it a compliment that former and current colleagues continued to reach out to her for advice and consultation. She truly loved her work and never gave up hope of returning to it. Mary had a weakness for adopting pets. In addition to Sadie and Chloe, Mary was especially attached to her constant companion Gertie, who provided much comfort to her. Mary was blessed with many friends and colleagues, including her lifelong friend, Patricia (Greg) Heckman and family; Jill Kozlowski; and Lisa Stahl. Mary had the great privilege of working alongside of some of the most dedicated and caring people in the healthcare business. Although the job was often challenging, Mary always had a good story to tell. Mary loved teaching. One day while receiving chemo, the nurse doing her infusion told the story of how Mary had mentored her through the beginning of her nursing career. Many remembered this nurse, but the nurse she remembered was shy and unsure of herself. She had clearly grown into a strong, competent nurse. Mary wanted to be sure to thank all the staff at Green Bay Oncology. Nurses, technicians, doctors, receptionists, and all others were not only courteous, comforting, and personable, they were also kind, intelligent and extremely competent. Thank you so much for your wonderful care of Mary. Finally, having recently gone through breast cancer awareness month (October) it's easy to become complacent and think that all the hard work is behind us. But the truth is that people do still die from breast cancer. There's plenty more work to be done. Let us not let down our guard until this disease is well behind us. A Funeral Mass for Mary will be held on Saturday, February 28, 2015 at 11:00 a.m. at St. Patrick's Catholic Church, 320 Nicolet Blvd., Menasha with Rev. Jim Hablewitz and Mary Krueger, Pastoral Leader officiating. Family and friends may visit on Friday at Menasha's Westgor Funeral Home from 4:00 - 7:00 p.m. A time of sharing memories will be held at the funeral home on Friday at 7:00 p.m. There will also be a visitation at the church on Saturday from 9:30 a.m. until the time of the mass. Burial will take place in St. Margaret's Cemetery, Neenah. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in Mary's name would be appreciated to benefit the Triple Negative Breast Cancer Foundation (www.tnbcfoundation.org)