Mary Ernestine Stumbos

Beloved mother, grandmother and dear friend to all, Mary Ernestine (Ward) Stumbos, 89, passed from this world on March 20, 2018 after a brief battle with pneumonia. She was surrounded by her loving family as she made her transition peacefully.

Mary, an only child, was preceded in death by her parents, Allie Mae and David Ernest Ward. She is survived by her three sons, John Demetrios III, David Ernest (Peggy), and Michael Ward (Cathy), and by her four granddaughters, Katrina, Brianna Beer (Zack), Malinda, and Kendra.

Mary was born in Frederick, Oklahoma on August 20, 1928, and moved in the 1940s to Willows, California, where her mother became a cherished and respected high school teacher. It was during this time that she and her mother also discovered Fallen Leaf Lake, an enchanting alpine community near Lake Tahoe that she would return to and spend her summers for the rest of her life.

After graduating from Willows High School in 1946, Mary went to Sullins College (a junior college for women) in Virginia and then to UC Berkeley. There she met her future husband and the father of her children, John D. Stumbos, Jr. In 1950 she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in psychology, immediately married, and settled into her new life in San Francisco. While John was in law school, Mary worked at several important jobs in the city, including, notably, the FBI. The family never did find out exactly what she did there.

Shortly after the birth of their first son in 1953 the couple resettled to Sacramento, her husband’s hometown. They lived a full and engaged life in Sacramento and, as their family grew, she found many opportunities to be of service. Mary was very active with the PTA at Alice Birney Elementary School, and she also was a longstanding member of the Volunteer League of Methodist Hospital. A wonderful homemaker and fabulous cook, Mary had a large circle of good friends and loved to socialize. She and a group of her women friends formed a successful investment club, Les Girls.

In addition to her adoring family, Mary also loved animals, particularly dogs. The family always had pets. Her last dog was a golden retriever, Rosie, who she loved to walk to the post office at Fallen Leaf in the summer. The family is saddened by Mary’s departure from this world, but knows she is at peace and has been reunited with cherished friends, family, and furry friends who will welcome her home.