Mary Willey

Mary E. Willey, 90, of Lakewood, Colorado, passed away peacefully on the morning of Sunday, June 11, 2017. Mary was born on June 26, 1926, and was the eldest of nine children of the late Margaret and Bernhard Lemke. She was raised and lived in Lincoln, Nebraska until her marriage to Duane Willey in 1949, when the newlywed couple relocated to Colorado. After a short stay in Estes Park, together they built their own home in Lakewood, where they raised their two children, Kathleen and Roy. Mary was a great lover of life. She was well-known for her kindness and helpfulness toward everyone she met. She taught English as a Second Language at Lakewood High School for many years. She enjoyed creating beautiful things, whether through oil painting, ceramics, drawing, mandalas, crocheting, embroidering or beading. Mary was also an avid student of world philosophies, religions, and metaphysics. She was preceded in death by her husband of 61 years, Duane E. Willey. She is survived by her daughter Kathleen Pennucci, son Roy Willey, and grandson Christian Willey, as well as her siblings, Bernadine Dehner, Ruth Drews, Reinhard Lemke, Karl Lemke, John Lemke, Roger Lemke, Phillip Lemke, and Phyllis Warren. A celebration of Mary’s life will be held later in the summer of 2017. If you’d like more information on the memorial service, please email [email protected]. In lieu of flowers or gifts, donations in her honor can be made to the Denver Dumb Friends League. https://www.coloradogives.org/ddfl/overview