Mary Thatcher (Hartman)'s Obituary
THATCHER, Mary (Hartman), age 83, of Wilmington and formerly of Waynesville, passed away Sunday, April 2, 2023.
Mary graduated from Simon Kenton High School in Lees Creek, class of ’57. She earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Education at the University of Dayton in 1962. She worked as an elementary school teacher, first in the Beavercreek school district, then at Clark Air Base in the Philippines, and at Army Bases in Germany. While teaching in Germany, she met the love of her life, Randy Thatcher.
She and Randy founded R&M Imports clock business in 1967 and owned the Herschede Hall Clock Company. She was a member and past president of the Wilmington and Waynesville Garden Clubs, OAGC Regional Contact, past president of the Harveysburg Book Review Circle, and member of the Buckeye Chapter 23 NAWCC. She was a member of the First Christian Church in Wilmington and volunteered by cooking and participating in committees and the sewing circle.
Loving, kind, friendly, caring, and pleasant, Mary was family-oriented and greatly enjoyed spending time with her family and friends. She enjoyed vegetable and flower gardening, arranging flowers, and judging flower competitions. She was an avid reader and supportive of the arts. She supported the Murphy Theatre in Wilmington, and she enjoyed the seasonal shows at the Schuster Center in Dayton and LaComedia in Springboro. She participated in two Bridge clubs, aptly named the “Wednesday Bridge Group” and the “Thursday Bridge Group.” Traveling was another favorite pastime. She took her grandkids, one at a time, on Road Scholar trips during their childhoods. She traveled with her first cousins each year. A trip to Italy and Germany for five weeks, which included a stop in the town and church where she got married, was one of her favorite excursions of recent days.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Randy, in 2013; her parents, Walter and Rhea (Ellis) Hartman; and her brother, Leo Hartman. She is survived by her children, Gayle Thatcher (Russ Udelhofen) of Arvada, CO, Randall (Dr. Jennifer) Thatcher of Beachwood, OH, and Edward Thatcher of Middletown, OH; five grandchildren, Desmond, Viktor, Anna, Megan, and Clayton Thatcher; her brother Carl (Carla) Hartman of Denver, CO; and sister-in-law, Carol Thatcher.
The family will receive friends 11 AM - 1 PM, Monday, April 24, at Stubbs-Conner Funeral Home in Waynesville. A celebration of life service will immediately follow the visitation at 1 PM Monday, April 24, at the funeral home. Burial will be in Miami Cemetery, Corwin. Condolences at www.stubbsconner.com.
In lieu of flowers, you may keep Mary's flowers blooming by donating to the Wilmington Garden Club (694 Kelly Drive, Wilmington, OH 45177). Donations may also be made to the Hope House Mission in Middletown, OH (https://hhmission.org/donations/donate-now/)
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