Mary H. (Rodrigues) Wilkinson

After falling asleep with a sweet smile on her face, Mary Wilkinson passed away peacefully in her home with her husband, Bob, by her side.

Mary was born on August 26, 1945, to Frederico and Helena Rodrigues.  As the eldest of their three children, and being born of their combined strength and love, Mary exemplified those virtues in everything she did.  Mary dedicated her entire life to her husband, children, grandchildren, family, and her friends (and Mary didn’t know any strangers).

Growing up on dairy farms in Novato, Petaluma, and Fallon with her parents, her brother, Freddy, and her sister, Belmira, Mary quickly learned that work, play, laughter, adventure, strength, and love were all equally important, and she was an amazing example of each.

At the age of six, Mary started school at Waugh School, a one room school house on Corona Road in Petaluma.  Mary spoke only Portuguese and her teacher and all her classmates spoke only English.  Mary’s infectious smile, her perseverance, and her warmth made her an irresistible student.  Through the help and support of her teacher and her classmates, Mary quickly mastered the English language and brought her knowledge home to teach her family.

Mary began her journey with Bob at the young age of fifteen.  They started going steady on January 12, 1961 and they celebrated that anniversary every year.  They were married in Petaluma on June 20, 1964 and raised their two daughters, Cheri-Lee and Bobbi, in Novato.  Their journey was one from which countless love stories could be written.

With her passion for knowledge and continuous personal growth, Mary started work as a bank teller and quickly advanced her career to manage a large savings and loan branch.  After many years of bank management, Mary expanded her knowledge once again to learn computer language and became a computer expert working in the IT (Information Technology) side of the banks.  There was never a challenge that she wouldn’t face and overcome with her determination and resourcefulness.

Mary, Bob, and the girls went on many adventures together, whether it was camping, driving up to play for the day in the snow (in their shorts), traveling through the western United States and Canada, or visiting the Happiest Place on Earth, Disneyland.  She always found creative ways to make even everyday tasks become an enjoyable adventure.

As the girls grew and started their own families, Mary and Bob expanded their travels.  They explored almost all of the United States, having a great fondness of sharing the vast history of the Washington, D.C. area with both of their grandchildren and their nephews.  Mary also visited several parts of Canada and Portugal (her parents were from the Azore Islands).  Throughout her travels, Mary always took her passion for genealogy with her and continued to piece together the family’s expansive family tree.  One of her greatest joys was meeting someone and sharing pictures and stories of their family ties.  Most recently, Mary and Bob discovered their passion for cruising.  Their travels at sea brought their journey to Alaska, Mexico, the Caribbean, the Panama Canal, and Italy.  Once again, Mary let her infectious smile and her warmth build long lasting friendships with those she met in her travels.

An avid lover of books, history, knowledge, writing, art, and especially Broadway musicals, Mary was always eager to share her passions with those surrounding her.  Her talent for telling stories has always been one of the greatest joys for her family and friends.

Mary is survived by her husband, Bob Wilkinson, her two daughters, Cheri-Lee Stompe and Bobbi Alm (Vance), and her two grandchildren, Mary and Michael Stompe.  She is also survived by her sister, Belmira Sweeney (Tom).  Mary was predeceased by her parents, Frederico and Helena Rodrigues, as well as her brother, Freddy.

Mary Wilkinson will be sorely missed by all who knew and adored her.  She deeply touched many lives with her love, friendship, her brilliant smile, and her devotion.

A memorial service will be held at Parent-Sorensen Mortuary and Crematory, 850 Keokuk Street, Petaluma, California, on Saturday, February 18, 2017 at 11:00 a.m., with a celebration of life to follow.  In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in honor of Mary to the March of Dimes, who greatly assisted Mary and her family when she was diagnosed with scoliosis.

Parent-Sorensen Mortuary and Crematory