Mary Kay (nee McGuire) Bertha

MILWAUKEE - Mary Kay Bertha (nee McGuire) will be celebrating her 98th birthday next month in heaven with the many family members and friends who have predeceased her including her husband, Bill Bertha and two beautiful granddaughters, Katie Znamirowski and Molly

Bertha.

Mary Kay and her many stylish hats were a staple of Milwaukee’s East Side, St. Robert’s Church and the Milwaukee Catholic Home.

And she wore many hats: She was a fabulous wife, mother, grandmother and a most loyal friend. She was also a gifted writer and upon graduation from Marquette University, she wrote for many prestigious national and local magazines and newspapers. She gave up this profession to raise her most cherished children but never stopped writing as her handwritten, cursive notes and postcards are legendary. Mary Kay also had the uncanny gift of being able to turn any gathering into a party with the simple addition of pretty napkins and a few fortune cookies. She loved being outdoors and would regularly leave her children messages to “get outside and get some fresh air.” Her happy place was anywhere she could see Lake Michigan and its many moods.

Mary Kay is survived by her seven children: Mary Agnes (Tom) Evslin, Nicholas Sr. (Leslie,) Patricia (Kerry) Bertha-Mattingly, Bill (Sue,) Brian (Brigette,) Terry and Bridget (Scott) Shore. She will also be very fondly remembered by her 16 grandchildren and 6 great grandchildren.

We were all blessed to have had her in our lives and we will love her always.

In lieu of flowers, Mary Kay asks for support for the suicide-prevention charity her two youngest children founded. Donations can be made via the website www.givingvoicetodepression.com The family is planning a private celebration of life.