Mary Jane Sargent
February 1, 1923 – February 2, 2015
Our “Montana Strong” cowgirl and queen of bling, Mary Jane Sargent, rode off to her beloved Big Sky Country at 04:30 on Feb. 2nd, 2015, the day after her 92nd birthday. Her devoted daughter, Allison, was by her side as she left.
Mary Jane (“MJ”) grew up in Great Falls, Montana, with her older brother Bob & their parents Mildred (Veitch) and Robert Karl West. Her fondest childhood memories were formed when the family summered at their cabin on Sun River, west of Great Falls. They hiked, swam and rode horseback in the mountains near their cabin, which lacked both plumbing and electricity.
MJ graduated from Great Falls High School in 1941. She was a co-founder of the ski club, edited the school paper and was active on the yearbook staff. After waitressing at the Many Glacier Hotel in Glacier Park for the summer, MJ “went east” to attend the College of Wooster in Ohio. In 1943 she transferred to Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill. where she joined the Upsilon chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma in Feb.1944. Upon graduation in Aug. 1945 with a B.S., she was elected to the Phi Beta Kappa honorary society. Next MJ went to Detroit for post-grad. study at Wayne University on a full scholarship & in Jan. 1948, she was awarded an MS in Medical Technology. Not satisfied with one grad degree, MJ then headed to the Univ. of MN to get her PhD. Soon after arriving, she met a handsome, recently widowed, OB-GYN resident and WWII veteran named Edward (“Ed”) Chester Sargent, Jr. They were married on Dec. 18, 1948 following a whirlwind 6 month courtship. Ed was welcomed into the West family only after he passed muster by enduring a harrowing horseback ride near Great Falls (& that was his last!). The couple honeymooned at the Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs before returning to Austin, MN. to start their life together. MJ’s grad studies were temporarily derailed, but she continued years later & received an MS in Cytotechnology from UCSF in Mar. 1968.
In 1959, MJ and Ed loaded the family (2 boys and 2 girls) into their station wagon and headed west. Settling in San Rafael, CA., Ed joined the Marin Medical Group. MJ, ever-eager to tackle a new adventure, dove in to her new life in the SF Bay Area. She never crossed the Golden Gate Bridge without saying how lucky she felt to live here! She became active in her PEO Sisterhood Chapter NE of Marin, the Marin Youth Orchestra, PTA, the Medical Auxiliary& all the while herding her children through endless activities.
In 1973, Ed became a medical director at Ortho Pharmaceuticals in NJ. MJ, the supportive and enthusiastic wife with boundless energy and curiosity, embraced the move. They, along with their youngest child (then in high school) moved to Lawrenceville. MJ loved her time on the east coast and immersed herself in many activities including joining the Princeton Historical Society, and in the process became quite a Revolutionary War buff. In 1980, the empty-nest couple moved back to Northern CA where they re-embraced their passion for the area and remained active in various philanthropic endeavors while splitting their time between Mill Valley and their Sea Ranch retreat on the Sonoma Coast. During this time MJ started “Sonoma Coast Mustard” which she sold in 1986. Freed-up from the burdens of running a thriving food business, MJ and Ed travelled the world, visiting 6 continents and making innumerable friends along the way. MJ stayed in touch with many of those friends the old fashioned way, by handwritten letters, staying true to her determination to never learn to use a computer!
On Dec. 18, 1998, MJ and Ed celebrated their 50th anniversary surrounded by their family & a room full of admiring friends. 6 days later, on Christmas Eve, 1998, the family was shattered. MJ and Ed suffered the most devastating loss a parent can ever experience when their eldest son, Edward Chester Sargent, III M.D., a beloved and respected physician in Oregon, died in an early morning car accident on the way to his clinic in Albany. MJ and Ed never fully recovered from that blow, yet stoically soldiered on, as only members of the greatest generation know how. MJ was an extraordinarily proud mother and grandmother, a devoted aunt and a selfless friend. She thrived on entertaining large groups or attending a “gala” of some sort. She was especially proud of her Scottish heritage and would refer to herself as “Scotch” to emphasize her thrifty nature, derived from family values and the searing experiences of the Great Depression. Her motto was “to thine own self be true”. She was cheerful, generous, thoughtful, warm, fiercely independent and unapologetic in her beliefs. Until the end she exhibited her tough, no complaints spirit and an unyielding will to fight the good fight. With a great sense of humor, MJ was a role model for family and friends alike, never taking herself too seriously and always willing to laugh at herself. She was a staunch supporter of Planned Parenthood, the SF& Marin Symphonies, an early member of the Sierra Club, Marin Audubon, Wildcare, and proud member of the First Presbyterian Church of San Anselmo.
In addition to her son, Mary Jane was pre-deceased by Ed, her husband of 62 years, on Mar.19, 2010 and her brother Bob in May,2011. She is survived by daughters Betsy (Art) Fowler of Alamo, CA; Allison Saether of Napa, CA; and son Preston (Julie) of Ketchum, ID; as well as six grandchildren Erik, Blair, Hilary, Caroline, Ian and Erin; nieces Lydia Fleming of St. Ignatius, MT and Dulcy Zoellner of Whitefish, MT; nephews Russell West of La Grande, OR and Howard Williams of Bradenton, FL and their respective families.
Thanks to Kaiser Hospice, and her many caregivers who helped immeasurably!
A memorial will be held at a later date in Montana.
Donations may be made to the Edward C. Sargent, III endowed Scholarship Fund at the University of Oregon Honors College or to a charity of your choosing.