Mary Lou was born on March 25, 1943 to Emil Joseph and
Nadine Elizabeth (Storm) Blum at St. Bernadine Hospital in San Bernardino, CA.
She enjoyed a childhood in the mountains, being raised in Wrightwood, CA. She
attended a three-room school house until eighth grade. When the high school
years rolled around, Mary Lou was bussed one hour each way to Victor Valley
High School (Jackrabbits) in Victorville.
While growing up in Wrightwood, Mary Lou became a horse
enthusiast. She was pleased to be able to pass this passion on to her granddaughter,
Emma. Her first horse was Pawnee and her second was Cimarron. She moved them
each year to Apple Valley during the Wrightwood winter.
After graduation from Victor Valley High School in 1961,
Mary Lou moved to Manhattan Beach to live with her brother Richard, his wife
Barbara and her beloved niece Lorraine and nephew Eric. She briefly attended
UCLA, then El Camino and eventually CSULB. She graduated in 1966, becoming the
first member of her family to earn a college degree. She earned her Bachelor’s
degree and a Lifetime Teaching Credential from the State of California.
In 1964, she met the love of her life, Leif Enockson, at
a Pi Kappa Alpha party in El Segundo. Leif graduated in 1966 from the USC
School of Pharmacy and was inducted into the U.S. Army in December 1966. They
maintained a long-distance relationship until they were married on December 29,
1967 with the wedding officiated by one of Leif’s fraternity brothers, Rev.
Warren Nyback. Warren also conducted the marriage of their daughter, Gretchen,
to Richard Janson in 1998. After their wedding, Leif flew back to Fort Knox,
Kentucky and Mary Lou soon followed. The Army then ordered Leif to Korea in May
of 1968. For their first anniversary, Mary Lou flew to Tokyo for Christmas and
the New Year and Leif flew from Seoul to meet her. They stayed at the Tokyo
Hilton and took the Bullet Train to Kyoto. Mary Lou then accompanied Leif back
to Seoul, In-Chon and ASCOM City for a week. She then returned back to
Hawthorne to be close to Leif’s parents for the remainder of his tour.
In 1970, Mary Lou and Leif bought a home in the tree
section of Manhattan Beach and have lived there since that time meeting new
neighbors and watching the neighborhood transform. They raised their two
children in this same home.
Mary Lou jumped into her career as a teacher first with
the Compton and Lennox School Districts. She then took a hiatus from teaching
to raise her children. She returned to teaching in 1983 with the Hawthorne
School District where she was loved by students and staff. She retired in 2002 to become a full-time grandma, but also continued supporting students part time
at the Sylvan Learning Center and St. Joseph School in Hawthorne as a reading specialist.
Mary Lou dearly loved her children, Carl Erik and
Gretchen Louise. She devoted much of her life to them and developed lifelong
friendships with other Manhattan Beach parents. While she loved her kids, she was
an even more devoted “Grammy” to Emma Louise, Matthew Allen and William
Enockson Janson. She was a fixture at their dance recitals, sporting events, drama
productions, rowing meets, and the annual MBUSD Scholar Quiz events. She was beloved
by all and considered “Grandma” to many of their friends, teachers, neighbors
and extended families. Mary Lou and Leif
also made it a priority to travel with their grandchildren, taking them on a
trip to a dude ranch or on a cruise every year, sometimes both. These family
vacations have provided endless stories and memories.
Mary Lou became a rabid USC Trojan fan. She and Leif
attended football, basketball, baseball, volleyball and track and field events.
They regularly traveled with friends to San Francisco, South Bend and even
Hawaii to follow their beloved Trojans. What Mary Lou most enjoyed at USC was
watching her son graduate and also perform with the USC Marching Band (on the
tuba) for four years. She was also very pleased to witness the graduation of her
daughter from USC with her Ed.D degree in 2013.
In the last eight years, Mary Lou and Leif became members
of the Journey of Faith Church in Manhattan Beach. She and Leif both enjoyed
the spiritual boost that Journey has given them. Mary Lou belonged to a weekly
bible study group and the thoroughly enjoyed the camaraderie and spirituality
she experienced with that group.
Leif will miss her lively talk, natural laugh, love and
the companionship she provided to their marriage for over 53 years. The same
can be said for her daughter and grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents, brothers
Richard Blum and Christopher Blum, and her son Erik Enockson. Mary Lou is
survived by her loving husband, Leif, daughter Gretchen (Rich) and
grandchildren Emma, Matt, and Will. She is also survived by innumerable friends.
Due to the current medical conditions in our state, a
celebration of Mary Lou’s life will be planned at a later date. In lieu of
flowers, please consider making a donation to the Humane Society of Yuma, AZ.
