Mary Norvaisas

Mary Nijole Norvaisas, age 79, died very suddenly at her home in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin the morning of July 12th, 2022. She was born on August 19th, 1942 in the small village of Kybartai, Lithuania, the daughter of Joseph and Stefanija (Snabaitis) Krivickas. The family was forced to flee their home during the violence of WWII; Mary spent the early years of her childhood in a displaced persons camp in Germany.

In 1950, the family immigrated to Chicago, Illinois, where, at the age of 8, she met the endearing young boy who was to eventually become her husband and life-long love, Charles Aloysius Norvaisas, when their families moved into the same apartment building in Cicero. When she was in high school, Mary’s family moved to a farm way up north in Marinette, Wisconsin.

As soon as she was able, she was determined to move back to Chicago, where she started her independent adult life, working as a secretary at both the Crane and Sunbeam Companies. Mary and Charles married in 1964 at St. Joseph’s Church in Porterfield, Wisconsin, settling in Cicero, and welcoming their first daughter, Julie Marie, to the world in 1967. They opted for a suburban lifestyle, moving to Lombard shortly after Julie’s birth, and welcoming their second daughter, Stefanie Ann, in 1969.

The family embarked on decades of adventures and shenanigans. Mary was very involved with her daughters, determined to give them every opportunity to participate in music lessons, the arts, sports, intellectual pursuits, and social activities. She served as a Girl Scout Troop leader, impacting many young girls’ lives in this way. With the girls in middle school, Mary began working again, eventually starting her own business selling eco-friendly office supply products.

Mary was brave and resilient - another example of this being that she trained herself to run in the 1980s, eventually completing a number of marathons, including the New York Marathon. Her family loved to travel to races with her and cheer her on.

She delighted in being a grandmother to her two granddaughters, Nijole Norvaisas Foos and Emilija Zibute Foos. Mary and Chuck enjoyed an extraordinarily loving and exciting life that included world travel and outrageously fun parties with their friends.

In their retirement, they built their dream home on the river in Marinette, Wisconsin, enjoying a decade of warm gatherings and giving Mary a chance to showcase her gardening talents and creativity in her custom art studio there. As they grew older, they moved to Sun Prairie to be closer to their grandchildren.

Mary was a talented artist–she loved painting, making books and paper, drawing, and the textile arts. She was a tremendous cook, bringing her love and creative talents to the table on a daily basis. Mary was fun, loving, and fun-loving. She was a witty, gentle, curious, generous, and thoughtful soul. Certainly, Mary was a stunningly beautiful woman inside and out, but mostly, she will be remembered for emanating pure love and compassion to everyone who had the pleasure of meeting her.

Mary was preceded in death by her mother and father, Stefanija and Joseph Krivickas. She is survived by her husband, Charles; her brother, Leo Krivickas; her daughters, Julie and Stefanie; and her precious granddaughters, Jolie and Zibby.

Mary’s favorite phrase was “ačiū dievui,” which means “thank god” in Lithuanian. She said this often, to remind herself and us to live in gratitude and appreciation for the profound beauty of the little things that make up every precious moment of our lives. Though we are sustained by the warm memories and colorful stories of her life, her presence and spirit are terribly missed by her family, and by her many friends, both old and new. To keep her spirit alive, let’s cultivate love.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to a charity that Mary got really excited about just prior to her death: Adopt-a-Dairy Cow, which provides milk to Second Harvest Food Bank. https://donation.secondharvestmadison.org/campaign/adopt-a-dairy-cow/c386452

Family and friends will gather from 1-3:00 PM on Sunday, July 17, 2022 at Cress Funeral Home, SUN PRAIRIE.  No formal service will be held.

Cress Funeral Service

1310 Emerald Terrace

Sun Prairie, WI 53590

608-837-9054