Mary Alice McGough (Le May) Haas 1919-2009

MCGOUGH, LE MAY, HAAS, FLEMING, PEDERSON, PICKEL

Posted By: Judy Nicks (email)
Date: 5/15/2009 at 18:57:41

Telegraph Herald
Dubuque, Iowa
Friday, May 15, 2009

Mary Alice (Le May) Haas

Mary Alice (Le May) Haas, 89, left us peacefully on the evening of Thursday, May 7, in her room at Oak Park Retirement Community, with family at hand.

Services will be at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, May 16, at St. Raphael's Cathedral, with Monsignor Wayne A. Ressler officiating. Friends may call from 4 to 7 p.m. today at Hoffmann-Schneider Funeral Home, 1640 Main St.

Mary Alice McGough was born on July 9, 1919, in Dubuque, the day of the historic flood at Union Park, daughter of Caroline E. (Fleming) and Patrick H. McGough. Her mother and father would joke that "she arrived via rowboat." She attended Saint Raphael's Parochial Grade School, Saint Joseph's Academy and graduated from Dubuque Senior High School in 1937.

She married Richard H. Le May on April 4, 1945, and they later had two children, Barbara Ann and William Patrick. Richard H. Le May succumbed to cancer on Feb. 23, 1977.

She later married Edmund Haas on March 16, 1983; he preceded her in death.

In her early youth, she was an avid dancer who performed at the Majestic Theater, where the Five Flags Theater now stands, sometimes with older brother Elsmore accompanying on the piano. She once toured with a vaudeville group known as The Leahpar Players -- Raphael spelled backward.

Mary was employed at the Savanna Ordnance Depot, and later served as assistant to the head of the Office of Chemistry and Electricity at the United States Military Academy at West Point. She was office manager of Bartels, McMahan and Le May Engineering Company in Dubuque.

Throughout her later years, she remained very active and worked as a volunteer in many organizations such as Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP), United Way, Wa-Tan-Ye, Mercy and Finley hospitals, and Community Life at Saint Raphael's Cathedral. Apart from these organizations, Mary spent countless hours visiting nursing homes and bringing her baked goods and warm fellowship.

Surviving are a daughter, Barbara (Dr. Richard) Pederson, of Los Alamitos, Calif.; a son, Bill (Eileen) Le May, of Dubuque; a grandson, Richard Le May, of Dubuque; a favorite cousin, Judy Pickel, of Kieler, Wis.; her stepchildren, Donnie (Donna) Haas, of Bernard, Ron (Peg) Haas, of Steamboat Springs, Colo., Joan (Al) Sampson and Jim (Kate) Haas, both of Dubuque; and a stepson-in-law, Paul Uhlrich, of Dubuque.

She also was preceded in death by her parents; two brothers, Mr. "Mort" McGough and Mr. "Els" McGough; and a stepdaughter, Patricia Uhlrich.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to Hospice of Dubuque.

Online condolences may be left for the family at www.hoffmannschneiderfuneralhomes.com .

The family wishes to give special thanks to the staff at Oak Park Retirement Community.