Mary Patricia Stapleton Durocher was the first child of John Matthew and Jessie Fern Gardner Stapleton, originally of Goldendale, Washington. When Mary was just a toddler, the young family moved to The Dalles, Oregon, where she grew up in a house that John built overlooking the Columbia River. From an early age, Mary showed a love and talent for music, and played piano for all the musicals and concerts at her high school in The Dalles. She attended Willamette University and then the University of Oregon, where she received her degree in music. After college, Mary moved to Portland to work for the Bonneville Power Administration. There she met Hector Durocher, an electrical engineer with the agency. They married at St. Peter’s Catholic Church in The Dalles in 1953 and moved to Walla Walla, Washington, where Hector worked for BPA’s area office and Mary taught school in Milton Freewater, Oregon. Hector and Mary had two children while they were in Walla Walla. As Hector continued his career with BPA, they moved to Spokane, Washington, and then to Beaverton, Oregon.

While raising her children, Mary found time to sing in the Portland Symphonic Choir and the popular women’s ensemble, the Beaverton B-Notes, and to perform in musicals at the Portland Civic Theater. She enjoyed painting in watercolor and dancing in a mothers’ jazz group at Anita Pienovi’s school of dance in Beaverton. She attended jazzercise classes several times a week until she was 80 years old.

After Hector died, Mary moved to Mary’s Woods in 2008, where she lived until her death in 2017.

Mary’s warmth and love of art, music and dance will live on in the hearts of all her family and friends.

Mary is survived by her sister, Martha June Stadelman; two children, Patricia Rae and David Brian; four grandchildren, Kristin, Katy, Laurel and Leah; and two great-grandchildren, Andrew and Caleb.

A memorial service will be held at Mary’s Woods chapel on August 22.

Donations to Mary’s Woods. http://maryswoods.org/giving-opportunities-at-marys-woods/

Memorial Service

Tuesday, August 22, 2017
Mary’s Woods Chapel