Mary B. Caire

MADISON- Mary B. Caire, age 92, went home to be with the Lord on Sunday, July 20, 2008, at HospiceCare in Fitchburg.  She was born October 18, 1915, in Gurdon, Arkansas to Alfred and Jesse (Lunon) Thomas. Mary came to Madison in 1935 with her mother and siblings.  She worked for many years doing domestic work for many Madison families and ended her employment life as a clerk with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.  Mary was very active in the Madison community for most of her life. Mary was a longtime member of St. Paul AME Church joining with her family the day after arriving in Madison; she was a founding member of S.S. Morris Community AME Church; Past President of the Wisconsin Assn. Of Colored Women's Club for two terms; founding member of the Madison Branch of the NAACP and Friendship Chapter No. 2, Order of the Eastern Star.  Mary was also very active in the South Madison neighborhood.  She was a long time board member of the South Madison Neighborhood Center and was a member of the committee who rebuilt the building of the present day South Madison Boys and Girls Club.  Mary was also a founding committee member of the City of Madison Neighborhood Associations and the first president of the Brams Addition Neighborhood Association (BANA); Church Women United. Mary always felt that education, a strong work ethic and community activism were byproducts of good citizenship and instilled those values into her family and others by example.  Mary was united in marriage to Edgar P. Caire in 1936.  From that union came four daughters, Dolores (Maurice Sr.) Gavin; Corrine Caire; Marie J. Thomas; and Gretchen Caire; 8 grandchildren and 23 great-grandchildren.  She was preceded in death by her husband Edgar and her daughter Corinne. The family wishes to give a special thank you to son-in-laws Maurice Gavin, Sr. and Samuel Thomas; the staff of Capitol Lakes Health Center; Meriter Hospital Doctors and staff of the 6th and 11th floors; HospiceCare, Inc.; Physicians Plus staff, Dr. Thomas Casper; Gail Gaustad, N.P.; Dr. Bradley Manning and his nurse Lori; Chaplain Guta Cvetkovic, Capitol Lakes Pastoral Care; Pastor Bob Groth, Chaplain, HospiceCare, Inc. A funeral service will be held at 1:00 PM on Friday, July 25, 2008, at CRESS FUNERAL HOME, 3610 Speedway Road, Madison, with a visitation starting at 11:00 AM.  Burial will follow at Forest Hill Cemetery. Mary's last words...""Keep God and Jesus in your heart.""