Mary was by all means a miracle baby. Her Mother Karen Lacy was told that she might never bear children. However, on February 21, 1983 Mary graced the world with her presence. She was a beautiful baby. Mary's mother was a single parent who worked two jobs to give her the best education possible. They lived with Karen's Mother Liunora who absolutly loved being a Grandma. As a young child Mary would go with Karen to visit elderly friends in nursing homes. She would bring smiles to their faces by singing them the latest song or reciting the latest verse from the Bible that she learned at church. She loved gardening with her Mom and her favorite was the flowers.  She always loved to pick the flowers. She once surprised her Mother with petunias. I say suprised because they had never planted the petunias, they had just appeared in the garden one summer. One of my fondest memories was when she was 2 years old. My brother and I were at her house for our summer break. Karen was in the kitchen making us maccaron and cheese with hot dogs. Mary was in her high-chair and we were teaching her how to say "big" words. We tried to teach her maccaroni and cheese but it came out "mac-a-gon-eyi and cheese". Our next big word was professor which was translated by Mary as "po-fes-o". When she was a little older our Grandmother had an old bath tub set up in the back yard. She would put water in it and we would play for hours. When Mary became school aged she attended Tulare Christian School where she flourished at learning about Jesus. She loved Jesus and that was usually the topic of discussion when I would visit her.  The last time I saw her was in the summer of 1991. She was so cute! I wanted to play the hottest new music by Boys 2 Men but she insisted that I listen to her tape of gossipal music. She won of course because I could never tell her no. She wrote me several notes while I was there that summer about how much she loved me. On the morning of September 25, 1991 when Mary was just 8 years old, Karen's world changed forever.  Mary's school was going on a field trip out of town to a carnival and Karen volunteered to transport Mary and two other little girls. Just yards away from their destination tragedy struck.  Karen's car was hit by a diesel truck and Mary and one of the passengers were killed instantly.  That single moment changed the lives of so many. Karen was never the same. Part of her glow was gone. She struggled to cope with her loss and eventually found several grief support groups which helped her. Karen developed lupus a few years later and the doctors believed that the impact of the accident had triggered it.  She also developed many other health related illnesses. In 2000 she decided to move to Missouri to be with her Father, Bill. His company put a spark back in her. Although they were both ill, they managed to take very good care of each other. Each gave the other a reason to carry on.  Together they were an awesome team. They could put a smile on anyone's face and were definatly great for a good laugh.   In early 2011 Bill's health was steadily declining. Karen stayed by his side, a dedicated daughter.  On February 20, 2011 Bill passed away. Once again Karen had to deal with an unbearable pain. From that moment on her health went down hill. In so many ways she gave up the will to go on. She spent the next 21 months in and out of the hospital. Her health declined to a point where she had to be placed into a nursing home so she could have round-the-clock care. Somehow through all her grief she still managed to try and make others smile and laugh. In early November 2012 Karen decided that she no longer wished to receive the dialysis and medications that kept her alive. She was tired and wanted to go home. On November 10, 2012 she passed away. I write this memorial as her funeral is taking place. I know that she is looking down on us all from Heaven. I can see her with a big, dimpled smile on her face and Mary under one arm and her Father under the other. She now has the reunion that she longed for. Although loosing the 3 of them still weighs heavy on my heart, I know that they would want me to celebrate their homecoming. They are safe with Jesus, free from the pain that we all have to endure during our short stay here.   Anybody who had the joy of knowing them knows that they were 3 angels while here on earth. They touched so many lives while here and were also touched by so many. Their memory and the impact they made will go on for a lifetime. Forever missed and loved.

Please visit the tribute to her Mother and Grandpa 

 karen-sue-lacy.forevermissed.com

william-perry-lacy.forevermissed.com