Mary Lou was born on October 17, 1940, to Maxine and Sheldon Witt and raised in Aurora, Illinois with her sister, Joan. She attended college at Lawrence University in Wisconsin. In 1966 she married the love of her life, Richard, who was a Navy officer. Mary Lou loved the life of a military wife and relished the opportunity to live in a variety of places including Gulfport, MS; Yokosuka, Japan; Albany, NY; Memphis, TN; Sicily, Italy; and Vienna, VA, where the family lived for 15 years. In 1969 their daughter Stephanie was born and their son Matt followed in 1971. Mary Lou earned her master’s degree at Memphis State University and worked for many years as a paralegal. Her favorite job was at the Justice Department in Washington, DC. In 1991, Mary Lou and Richard moved to Charlottesville, VA. They both loved Charlottesville and their many wonderful friends. They entertained frequently and were very active with local clubs and charities. They also loved to travel and took multiple trips around the world, including many with their grandchildren.

When Mary Lou turned 70, she competed in a triathlon and after finishing the race she stayed at the finish line to cheer on her competitors. Despite some very heart-breaking events – losing her amazing husband in 2011 and being diagnosed with early Alzheimer’s in 2012 – Mary Lou continued to persevere and inspire. She moved in with her daughter and family in 2013. During this time she won 2 gold medals in the Senior Olympics, produced many gorgeous oil paintings, and ran multiple 5K races. After moving into assisted living she continued to run on a regular basis and hiked Old Rag Mountain with her son and grandson (she even gave a few Marines a run for their money!) In the last years of her life she lived on the memory care floor of the Maple Grove facility in Ashburn, VA where her beautiful smile and gentle demeanor endeared her to staff and visitors alike.

Mary Lou taught us to live each day to the fullest and to hit the ground running. She was a wonderful wife, mother and beloved grandmother. She is survived by her two children, Stephanie (Walter) Hearne and Matt (Melissa) Fowler, and 10 grandchildren: Luke (Mary) Fowler, Skylar (Ramon) Pardo, Gabriel (Alana) Fowler, Isaiah Fowler, Jacob Fowler, Sadie Fowler, Meri Fowler, Lexi Fowler, Ava Hearne, Leah Hearne, and great-granddaughter, Eliza Fowler.

A private event will be held by her family to celebrate her remarkable life.

Memorial contributions can be made to Camp Holiday Trails (a charity that was very dear to her heart):

Camp Holiday Trails

400 Holiday Trails Ln

Charlottesville, VA 22903

Camp Holiday Trails