A Family Funeral Home
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Mary D. Hecht

February 25, 1932 - December 14, 2022
Racine, WI

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Visitation

Monday, December 19, 2022
10:00 AM to 11:00 AM CST
Sacred Heart Catholic Church
2201 Northwestern Avenue
Racine, WI 53404

Service

Monday, December 19, 2022
11:00 AM CST
Sacred Heart Catholic Church
2201 Northwestern Avenue
Racine, WI 53404

Contributions


At the family's request memorial contributions are to be made to those listed below. Please forward payment directly to the memorial of your choice.

Hospice Support Foundation
7755 3rd Street North, Suite 200
Oakdale, MN 55128

Life Story / Obituary


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Mary Helen (nee Duren) Hecht passed away at 90 at St. Monica’s Senior Living on December 14, 2022.

Mary was born on February 25th, 1932, in Cazenovia, Wisconsin, in Richland County, to Rinold Nicholas and Anne (Murphy) Duren. She enjoyed many different sports, especially baseball, as a participant and a fan. At 13, she learned to score Chicago Cubs’ games by listening to their radio broadcasts; at 16, she kept score for her hometown baseball team, and called in results to the Wisconsin State Journal’s sports department. Following high school, she graduated from the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse with a B.S. in Education. While at LaCrosse, Mary thoroughly enjoyed her four years in play productions and acting, and was a member of Alpha Psi Omega, the national honorary dramatic fraternity. She began teaching third grade at Gilbert Knapp in Racine in fall 1954, after winding up her apprenticeship as an actress that summer at Olney Theatre in Olney, Maryland.

She married Robert Edwin Hecht on January 2nd, 1956, at St. Anthony’s Church in Cazenovia, Wisconsin, and they had five children: Lisa Ann, William Robert, John Robert, Julie (passed away shortly after birth), and Thomas Robert, Hecht.

Mary and Robert enjoyed attending plays and musical theatre in the greater Milwaukee and Chicago areas. They also later enjoyed visiting their adult children in Arizona, Idaho, and Wisconsin.

Mary taught for 30 years in the Racine Unified School System, full-time and as a substitute. She served on the Racine Public Library Board from 1996 until 2002, followed by six years on the board of the Friends of the Racine Public Library. She was a Girl Scouts leader, and member of the St. Rose Women’s Society and Human Concerns Committees. She created craft projects for Racine’s first Respite Services Harmony Club at St. Rose (now St. Richard’s) for six years. She was also a member of A.A.U.W. for over a decade.

Mary loved crossword puzzles, old movies, reading, helping to organize family reunions and gatherings for the Irish side of her family, playing bridge with very special friends for nearly 40 years, and was always up for a good laugh! She was the life of any party and danced at her granddaughter Sara’s wedding with a 4-year-old at the ripe old age of 86.

Mary was a devoted wife and mother to her husband and children. She tirelessly maintained the household and cooked, cleaned and provided loving-kindness to all her family and friends. Mary never had a mean word or vulgar language, being a great Christian example to all. She attended all her children’s events and somehow still managed to keep a tidy home, wonderful meals, and clean laundry. Mary had a flair for the dramatic and a wonderful sense of humor when the family gathered, especially around the dinner table at holidays. She was a terrific grandmother and great grandmother, loving each one of them fully.

She is survived by her daughter, Lisa Ann Hecht, sons William Robert, John Robert (Mary Jeanne) and Thomas Robert (Ann) Hecht and five grandchildren: Sara Hamilton (Alex Hamilton) and Jennifer Chu, Benjamin Hecht (Grace Kim) and Julie Hecht, Hannah Hansen (Cameron Hansen), great-granddaughter Penelope Hecht, and great-grandson Maximilian Hecht. Mary was preceded in death by her husband, Robert, parents Rinold Nicholas and Anne (Murphy) Duren, brothers Vince, Edward, Larry and Ryne Duren, sisters Bonnie Greenheck, Annette Sherbert, Barbara Glaysher, brothers-in-law Francis Greenheck, Gordon Glaysher, Art Sherbert and Vernon Hecht, sisters-in-law Peggy (Vernon) Hecht, Kitty Rae Duren, Beverly Collins Duren, Jane Duren, and infant daughter Julie Mary Hecht.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 2201 Northwestern Ave, Monday, December 19, 2022, 11 am. Interment will follow at Calvary Cemetery. Relatives and friends may meet prior to Mass 10 am to 11 am.

In lieu of flowers, memorials to Hospice Support Foundation, 7755 3rd Street North, Suite 200, Oakdale, MN 55128 have been suggested.

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