Mary Laurentia Powers Baricevic passed away Friday, January 26th 2018 after a long battle with cancer. Mary was 96 ½ years old. All her children and many grandchildren had the honor of ministering to her in her final days here on earth.

Nearly a century ago, Mary was born in Chicago on June 10th, 1921. Her father Timothy Powers, whose parents immigrated from Ireland, married her mother Mary Boucher, the daughter of a German/French farming family. Mary grew up with her two brothers, Tom and Bill, in the exciting city of Chicago. She graduated from Mundelein College with a degree in English and then trained for the new field of social work. Her first job was at Western Electric, helping gather data for the famous Hawthorne experiment. Later, she became a psychiatric social worker at Cook County Mental Hospital—the largest in the U.S.

Mary met and married Ferd Baricevic in 1955, after he moved to Chicago as an electrical engineer at Westinghouse. They quickly grew to have 5 children in the same number of years, while living with and caring for Mary’s father until his death in 1965. Eager to return to the Pacific Northwest, Ferd accepted a job in management at Tektronix and the family moved to Portland.

Mary loved entertaining, was deeply interested in intellectual, religious and political affairs and attended many cultural events in Portland. She also traveled the world extensively, making several trips a year until her mid 80’s. There wasn’t a destination, book, theological issue or fashion trend that she didn’t know inside and out. Mary was also passionately interested in every detail of her children’s education, social life and careers. This attention extended to all of her 12 grandchildren in her later years.

Mary was preceded in death by her husband Ferdinand Baricevic and two brothers.

She is survived by Mary Kay (Joel) Beaudoin, Ann (Mark) LaRue, Ferdinand Jr. (Julie) Baricevic, Laura (Joseph) Parker and Margaret Baricevic. She also is survived by 12 grandchildren. Lauren Beaudoin, Margaret Beaudoin Smith, Kate Beaudoin, Libby LaRue, Saša LaRue, Ferdinand Peter Baricevic III, Marko Baricevic, Jack Parker, Tim Parker, Jean Marie Parker, Laura Jr. Parker, Constance Parker.

A Recitation of the Rosary will be held Friday, February 2, 2018, 8:00 p.m. Riverview Funeral Home, Portland, Oregon. Funeral services will be held Saturday, February 3, 2018, 11:00 a.m. at St. Mary’s Cathedral, Portland, Oregon.

In Lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Northwest Family Services.

Recitation of the Rosary

8:00 PM ,Friday, February 2, 2018
Riverview Abbey Funeral Home
0319 SW Taylors Ferry Road Portland, OR 97219
Notes: Funeral services will be held Saturday, February 3, 2018, 11:00 a.m. at St. Mary’s Cathedral, Portland Oregon.