Mary Catherine Elizabeth Isabelle Burns Lipson died Tuesday, Oct. 31, in Portland, Oregon.
Mary was born in Chicago, Illinois, on Dec. 20, 1923, the first child (and only daughter) of four Burns children. She grew up in a vibrant and close-knit Irish Catholic world, through Depression and World War II years.
She graduated from Mundelein College (now part of Loyola Chicago), and worked in journalism and then in advertising, where she met Bob Lipson from Brooklyn. Mary and Bob married in 1954 and had seven children.
In 1965 the family relocated from Deerfield, Illinois, to Pacific Palisades, where the last two children were born. Mary was a lively, witty, warm part of the life of her parish (Corpus Christi) in the Palisades.
After Bob died in 1982, Mary remained there for a time, spent a few years in Palm Springs, moved to Solana Beach, finally relocating in her last years to Portland, Oregon, near two of her children. She was a fun, animated conversationalist, a gracious hostess and a hilarious mother.
She is survived by a brother, Jack Burns; her seven children: Peter (wife, Catherine); Paul; Marianne (husband Gaylord); Andy (wife Dana); Barbara (husband Prescott); Carol (husband Scott); and John (wife Leanne); as well as 16 grandchildren.
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