Marylinde (Momma Mary, Crazy Mary) Semanski passed away August 5, 2021. Mary is survived by her mother, Heidi; children Christina, Joseph (Brandi), and Heidi; grandchildren Aundrea, Jennifer, Andrew and Jessi; great-granddaughter Iris. She is preceded in death by her father Edward, and partner in crime, Paul.
Mary was born July 5, 1950 in Rutzenmoos Austria. She immigrated to the United States as a teenager, where she lived and attended schools in Enumclaw, Washington. Throughout her life she lived in Alaska, Wyoming and Montana, finally settling in Westport for over thirty years. She was known to many in the Westport community as Momma Mary and Crazy Mary, and she lived up to both of her names on opposite ends of the spectrum. What else can be said about Mary? There is no one word that can adequately describe her life or personality. She lived a life that was completely on her own terms, and she made those terms up as she was going, but she lived every day to the fullest.
While living in Westport, Mary worked at many local restaurants as a cook. She loved cooking and feeding people – her reuben sandwiches are second only to her mother’s! If you stopped by to visit, you would leave full – full of laughter, food and wonder. Feeding people was her gift – with food, humor or amazement.
Along her journey, Mary met Paul. The two together were quite the couple. If you did not know Mary and Paul, you probably knew who they were. They lived life loud, on the edge and full of antics, but also enjoyed doing simple things together, like weeding their gardens. After Paul passed away in March of this year, Mary simply never recovered from his loss. Together, they would leave you shaking your head one second, and belly laughing the next.
Mary was fiercely independent, outlandish, unpredictable, always very loud and extremely boisterous. But she was also very generous, giving and caring. If you were lucky enough to be on her good side (and she would let you know if you were not!), she was a devoted and loyal friend. She loved her friends and family to a fault, and she was loved by many in return. She was a reckoning force who lived up to her nicknames of Momma Mary and Crazy Mary, and she was proud to be both at the same time.
Her family is stunned by the sudden and unexpected loss of our daughter, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. We thank the community of Westport and her friends for caring for her and showing her love and support the last few months. We know her arrival into eternity has probably created quite the ruckus – and she would have it no other way!
