Mary Ann McSorley

Mary Ann McSorley  

Born Mary Anna Fischer on May 29, 1934, she was the second of four children born to Ernest and Helen (Suth) Fischer.  Growing up on a small farm during the depression, she had fond memories of the cows and horses, her Hungarian mother’s cooking and her German father’s farming and beekeeping.  She attended Saint Stephen’s Catholic Elementary and graduated from South Bend Catholic High School.  She later graduated from Loyola Nursing School in Chicago as a Registered Nurse, initially working in the Children’s Polio Hospital Ward on Logan Street in South Bend in the medical facility (which later became Logan Center).  Mary Ann also worked as a RN at Ball Memorial Hospital in Muncie, Healthwin Hospital in South Bend, and then trained nurses for two in-home nursing care providers. 

On a “Double Dare” from her older brother Joe, she left South Bend and traveled to San Diego CA to work as a nurse.  There she met John “Mac” McSorley (from New Bern NC) who was stationed in U.S. Navy after serving in WWII.  They were married at the base chapel in 1959, and shortly after they moved to Newport RI where John retired from the Navy after the birth of their first child.    

With a newborn son and Mac’s two daughters, they moved to Muncie, IN, where Mary Ann worked as a Nurse at Ball Hospital while John finished college.  In 1965 they moved to South Bend and bought a home on Kenilworth Road in Clay Township.  Mac began teaching at Mishawaka High School while Mary Ann raised two older daughters and three younger sons.  Later, Mary Ann worked as a RN at Healthwin Hospital, and later for two home nursing care companies.  She volunteered as a nurse for Christ the King Church and other charitable organizations.  She and Mac were both long-time members of the Clay Township Lions Club, where she was Club President and headed a program gathering used eyewear to be refitted and given for those in need.   

Mary Ann was part of the second generation of the Hungarian Suth family who helped contribute to the tremendous growth of South Bend in the early 1900’s.  She is preceded in death by her parents, her husband, John (“Mac”), her brothers: Emery “Jim” Fischer (Dolores-surviving) of South Bend and Joseph “Joe” Fischer (Genevieve) of Santa Clara, CA.  Mary Ann is survived by her brother Francis “Fritz” Fischer (Sharon), two daughters, Doreen (Gerald Novak) and Catherine (Richard Botheilo), three sons, John (Amy), Michael (Wendy), Patrick (Anne), 20 Grandchildren, 22 great grandchildren and 1 Great-Great Grandchild.   She lived a great life, and was a wonderful mother and grandmother.  She was loved by her family, her neighbors, and she had many life-long friends, all of whom will miss her deeply and dearly.    

Mary Ann died on Tuesday, January 4, 2022, at the age of 87.  

A visitation and celebration of life is scheduled at Kaniewski Funeral Home on Friday, January 14, from 3:30 – 6:00 PM with a Rosary immediately following.  For those who wish to have the opportunity for additional social distancing, you are invited to come early at 3:30 PM.  A Funeral Mass is scheduled for Saturday, January 15, at 11:00 AM at Christ the King Catholic Church on US 933 and Darden Rd. 

For any who cannot attend the funeral Mass at 11 EST, it will be streamed live on Christ the King’s Website.  www.christthekingonline.org

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkqv918ak5sglBo-JlVUbBQ

For additional details, please visit www.kaniewski.com or call them at 574-277-0737

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Mary Ann McSorley, please visit our floral store.