Obituary for
Mary F. "Mrs. Mary" Radke
Mary Frances Radke “Mrs. Mary”, age 71, of Omaha, died October 4, 2016. Preceded in death by her parents and son Dirk Radke. Survived by husband Stanley; son Eric Radke; daughter and son-in-law Ellen and Dale Trumble; grandchildren Dillon, Tyler, Haley, and Aiden.
Visitation Friday October 7th from 5-7 PM at Reichmuth Funeral Home in Elkhorn, NE. Funeral service will follow, starting at 7 PM also at Reichmuth Funeral Home. Memorials are suggested to the Alzheimer’s Association, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, or to the Special Olympics.
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Life Story for Mary F. "Mrs. Mary" Radke
Mary Frances Radke was born on July 1, 1945 in Chicago, IL to Frank and Eleanor (Zuercher) Holmgren. As a young girl Mary liked to go shopping, go to the movies, and taking dance lessons. Mary grew up and attended school in the Chicago area, graduating from St.Patricks Catholic High School for girls in Des Plaines, Illinois in 1963. After graduation she moved to Omaha to attend Creighton University where she met her future husband, Stan.
Mary married Stan Radke in Chicago, IL on August 27, 1966 and they were blessed with three children; Eric, Dirk, and Ellen. Mary and Stan raised their family in the Omaha area.
Mary started and ran a preschool program at the Florence Community Center for many years before she became the Activities Director in the dementia and Alzheimer’s department of New Cassel. Mary was very proud of her ability to obtain a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, even if it wasn’t until she was 50 years old. Her love of shopping continued into adulthood, especially if she could find a good bargain. She would typically show her family the regular price of an item and then tell them how much she paid for it. "It was on sale" was a common phrase for Mary. She also enjoyed spending time with her grandkids and attending their events. She went to many plays at the Omaha Community Playhouse and enjoyed local theater with Stan. Mary could carry on a conversation with anyone, even if she was just in the checkout line at the grocery store. She was very well known around town due to her preschool program so many past students would recognize “Mrs. Mary” and want to chat, which she loved. Mary was very proud of her marriage, children, and grandchildren. When her kids would ask her a question her reply would often be, “Let me check with your dad.” Mary was a caring, organized, and very talkative person who would always put others before herself. She will be remembered for her strong work ethic and her giving personality and will be missed by many.
Mary passed away on Tuesday October 4, 2016 at Lakeside Hospital at the age of 71 years, 3 months, and 3 days. She is preceded in death by her parents and her son Dirk Radke. She is survived by her husband of 50 years, Stanley; son Eric Radke of Omaha; daughter and son-in-law Ellen and Dale Trumble of Omaha; grandchildren Dillon, Tyler, Haley, and Aiden.
