Mary Antonietta Frary

Our beautiful, brilliant Mom, was a strong, intelligent, independent woman who knew her own mind. Mary Antonietta Sibilio was born December 10, 1922, in Inglewood, CA, to Antonio Sibilio and Clorinda Mariotti Sibilio, immigrants from Italy. She grew up in Southern California, attending school at St. John Chrysostom's parish, and St. Mary's Academy, both in Inglewood, and Mt. St. Mary's College in Brentwood. She loved school, running away from home, at age 4, to get to the school, 2 blocks away. Her Mom begged the nuns to keep her, because she really wanted to be there and Grandma Sibilio couldn't keep her at home. At the end of the school year, they had to pass her to the second grade, because she had learned all the first grade stuff. She continued to excel in school and graduated from "the Academy" at 16, then going on to college, at "the Mount". WWII broke out while she was there. She met her husband, Ralph Frary, on a blind date on May 5, 1941, a young soldier from Terre Haute, Indiana, and they married the following January 2, 1943, and quickly started their family. Mom said no one knew how much time they had left, because of the war. Florence was born in December, 1943, three days before Mom's 21st birthday, followed by Anthony in June, 1945 and Ralph in September, 1946. She liked to say that she was so busy changing diapers, she didn't "know stockings had been invented". They raised their young family in Inglewood, followed by El Segundo, then back to Inglewood and Grandpa Sibilio's apartments, before moving to Visalia. Mom always missed the ocean and the cooler air, clear up to her last days, and so monthly trips to L.A. occurred till her parents finally moved up here. She then started working on her elementary school credential, subbing until she completed the course work, through Fresno State. This was followed by teaching at Packwood (having 1st grade); Linwood (when there were only two teachers there, Mom had a first-second combination class); Liberty (where she taught 7th grade); and Fairwiew (when the school experimented with team teaching). She was an excellent teacher, often being given troubled kids to teach, because she knew how to reach them. She also taught an MGM summer school class (mentally gifted minors) economics. I remember that she really enjoyed this class. While teaching for the Visalia School District, (it wasn't unified till later, in the 1960-s) she started B-E day - Business-Education Day, where a teacher and a businessman/woman would exchange work environments for the day and learn from each other. At St. Mary's Parish, she was the first Director of Religious Education, and because of teaching rel. ed., at the same time she was directing the whole program, she recommended to the pastor, Msgr. Doherty, that it be a paid position, recommending Joan Bell. The rest is history, as Joan became an institution in the Parish. Her work in the community of Visalia, had her on the Visalia Beautification Committee, and later President of American Field Service and hosting a student from Ecuador, Raul Izurieta Mora Bowen, for his senior school year at Redwood High School, in our home. As an only child from a big family, she loved playing with her many cousins. One of her favorites is Ivo Lazzeroni, 102, who wants to come to the funeral. He remembers giving her a ride in a wagon when she was a baby, and he was five. Preceding her in death were her mother, father, and husband, all within six years. Surviving Mary are her children: Florence (William) Evans of Visalia, Tony Frary and Candace Frary of Kaslo, B.C., Canada, and Ralph Frary, of Visalia; grandchildren: William Evans of Oakland (Jaclyn Andrews of Oakland); Marianna (Tony Alvarado) of Visalia; Michael Evans (Rina Gluck) of Lafayette; Elizabeth Evans (Joe Miller) of Santa Cruz; Lindsay Frary (Craig Barschel) of Kaslo; Heather Frary (Richard Germaine) of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan; and Christopher (Deanna Anderson) Frary of Sooke, British Columbia and eight great-grandchildren: Kyla, Jack and Brennan Barschel, of Kaslo; Ryder, Cody and Julie Germaine of Saskatoon; Andrew Evans of Lafayette; Frances Miller of Santa Cruz; and Quinn Frary of Sooke. She passed away peacefully at Kaweah Delta's Transitional Care Services shortly after arriving there (27 hours earlier) December 30, 2019. Her cooking was delicious, simple olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper, a true Mediterranean diet before it became popular. She enjoyed her yard and flowers, travel (once leaving for Russia on the fourth of July), playing the piano (wanting to go to Marquette university in Wisconsin, to become a concert pianist). Becoming editor of the Mount's literary magazine writing short stories and poetry, and later, shortly after moving to Visalia, taking a ceramics class in Visalia, and even later, square-dancing. Services will be held on Thursday, January 9, 2020, with visitation from 8 to 9am at Salser and Dillard before the rosary at 9:30, at St. Mary's, then the Mass at 10:00. Cemetery followed by a reception at the Serra Center at St. Mary's. Donations may be made to George McCann Memorial School.

Mary Antonietta Frary

December 10, 1922 - December 30, 2019