Mary Foy

Mary Foy was born on February 4, 1932, in Indiana and passed away on November 26, 2025, at the age of 93. A longtime resident of Fullerton, California, Mary lived a life filled with family, friendship, creativity, and adventure. She is survived by her sister, Anne Core; her four daughters, Kate McKee, Barbara Wentzel, Elizabeth Hernandez, and Berniece Foy; and her five grandchildren, Scott Carey Foy, Samantha Kamei Pang, Robert Benjamine Oertel, Sarah Machak, and Brittany Ibarra.

Mary raised a loving family, painted expressive canvases, and created beautiful homes and gardens that became gathering places for friends and neighbors. She moved through the world with intense social curiosity, fierce independence, and an open, welcoming spirit. Fred always said you could spot her in any room — she would be the one in the center, sparking conversation, sharing interesting stories, offering ideas, and drawing people together with her positive energy.

From the beginning, Mary chose her own path. Upon graduating high school, her father encouraged her to pursue an “MRS.” she had no interest. Instead, she followed her passion into Theater Arts and set design. Working Summer Stock in Hollywood, she collaborated with celebrities including Sidney Poitier, Edgar Buchanan, Dennis Hopper, Alvin Ailey, Ray Agahayan, Adelaide Cumming (the original “Betty Crocker” for General Mills), Lupita Tovar and many others.

She collected wonderful stories from those years — including the ones about Dennis “the menace” Hopper, who once drove her through Arizona to gather props, and another time when she and a friend hid him under their petticoats in the back seat of a car to get him across the border from Mexico. Her clever, imaginative designs were so strong they were taken on the road, and her Porgy and Bess sets won awards and were used in professional productions internationally.

Her father, Harry Howe, used every opportunity to connect her with a handsome petroleum engineer who lived in one of his apartment buildings. Mary resisted with characteristic stubbornness. On one occasion, after learning Fred had been invited to dinner, she changed out of her dress and into jeans and a T‑shirt before going downstairs — and Fred still thought she was gorgeous.

In time, he won her heart, becoming the great love of her life. Together they shared passions for children, gardening, art, stained glass, international travel, trips with their GMC Motorhome Club, the Elegant Cruisers, and square dancing with the Checkmates — creating community wherever they went.

Their life together began in October 1954 with a wedding in her parents’ California home. Soon after, Mary and Fred moved with their first daughter, Kate, to a trailer camp in Venezuela — the beginning of a remarkable international journey. With an open heart and boundless curiosity, Mary embraced each new culture, raising four daughters while moving from country to country as Fred’s career advanced. Catherine Mary arrived in 1955, followed by Barbara Ann in 1957, Elizabeth Ann in 1959, and Berniece Marie in 1961.

Their international life began humbly in that small trailer in Venezuela, then carried them to Colombia; onward to Karachi, Pakistan; then to Bahrain; and finally, to a beautiful home in San Fernando, Trinidad, perched on a hillside with sweeping views across the water toward Venezuela.

Lifelong gardeners, Mary and Fred, poured creativity and joy into the soil. Their Fullerton home blossomed into a lush sanctuary filled with roses, camellias, plumerias, exotic plants, and even a fig tree that her husband Fred admired for its beauty — and teased her endlessly for its mess. Their home was also animated by unusual pets, including Joaquin, their blue‑and‑gold macaw, along with chickens, quail, and rabbits. Mary became an active member of the Fullerton Garden Club, the Fullerton Arboretum, and the Horticultural Society, sharing her knowledge and love of unusual and exotic plants.

Most of all, Mary and Fred’s greatest passion was their family – their daughters Kate, Barbara, Elizabeth and Berniece and their grandchildren; Scott, Samantha, Ben, Sarah and Brittany. Family always came first. Deeply invested in their children’s lives, Mary attended EVERY piano recital, play, ballet performance, Carnival show, horse show, parade and halftime show.

They set high expectations, instilling values of hard work, honesty, integrity and love for family. Weekends and vacations were filled with home improvement projects - building a brick wall, planting gardens, making a sidewalk, weeding, caring for chickens, rabbits and quail - and family trips. They encouraged exploration, nurturing and supporting each child in discovering what they loved.

After moving from her beloved home in Fullerton to Morningside, Mary embraced every opportunity to make a difference. She joined creative writing, mahjong, and bridge clubs, participating fully in Morningside’s many activities — even golf competitions. Many residents remember her as one of the first friendly faces they met. After the difficult transition of leaving their own homes, Mary encouraged new residents to engage, helping them find community and connecting them with others who shared their interests.

Mary lived with a warm heart, unshakable determination, and a gift for making instant connections. Welcoming, engaging, and always ready with a smile, she created community wherever she went. She lived fully, loved deeply, and brightened countless lives with her humor, resilience, and radiant spirit — a legacy carried forward by her daughters, grandchildren, extended family, and the many friends who loved her.