Mary Sandra (Albanese) Wiseman

     Mary S. Wiseman was born in 1922 as Mary Albanese and passed away 8/22/2017 surrounded by her family at the age of 94. Mary was a lifelong resident of Seattle and grew up in a strong Italian community in the Georgetown neighborhood in south Seattle. She was raised in the home located in the back of the family business of Caruso Grocery on Airport Way. She was the oldest of three girls, and with her father dying when she was 10 during the depression. She never had a lack of hard work to do and the responsibility that came with it.  She graduated from Cleveland High school in 1941. She went to school to use a  comptometer (look it up) and worked at companies like Asbestos Supply, Mcdougall’s, and later many years at Weisfield’s jewelers doing accounting work.  She was an extremally hard worker with Mary being the first recipient of the employee of the year at Weisfield’s Jewler and later became the only person to win the award twice.

     Mary married Kenneth Wiseman in 1947 and went on to have 5 children. Kenneth became ill and passed away after several years being bed ridden and partially paralyzed. Mary was left a widow in 1969 and worked long hours to support herself and her children.

     She was a long member of St. Edwards and later St. George parishes. She loved going to mass and was a devout Catholic.  After retirement, she volunteered at St. Edwards as a money counter, library helper, and read  to younger children for many years.  She also spent much of her time taking care of her mother Fernanda, her Aunt Gina and Aunt Lina. Fernanda later moved in with Mary. Fernanda spent  her last few years with Mary under great care and with love.

    Mary was never fearful of a hard day’s work, and spent thousands of hours gardening, picking and canning food, cooking, cleaning, doing laundry and whatever chore needed to be done. She loved watching sports, especially when her children were playing. She went to many Seattle Sonics games from the founding of the team,  to Seattle Pilots games, Seattle Mariners, and numerous O’Dea High School football and basketball games.

    Mary was practical to a fault with all bags, aluminum foil, wrapping paper used multiple times. She would give back birthday cards she received so the person could give her the same one next year. When she moved out of her house at 92, she still had a set of towels she received as a wedding present that she was saving for a special occasion. She learned to fix things and evidenced by her ability to pop the hood and unstick her clutch of the station wagon in under 60 seconds.

    At age 92, Mary sold her house that was her home for nearly 70 years and moved in with her daughter Cindy. Cindy took excellent and loving care of her mother with Mary passing away on the second anniversary of her moving in.

     Mary loved cooking for others, giving to those in need, asking anyone if they could use her help, and a never-ending love for her family and friends. She was a selfless person who always put others needs ahead of her own, and never expecting anything in return.  She will be sorely missed.