Mary Elizabeth Kirsling August 16, 1922 – December 24, 2018 Share this obituary Upload Photo| Sign Guestbook| Send Sympathy Card Mary Elizabeth Kirsling, with a beauty all her own ran her last race on Christmas Eve December 24, 2018. Mary was born in Hornby, New York on August 16,1922 to parents Leona and Albert Bassage. According to Mary they were expecting a boy.
As a young girl she trekked through the woods with her father hunting, fishing and boating. She was a girl scout, drove a tractor on her Uncle’s farm earning the name of tomboy. To her mother’s horror she ran and cartwheeled through her teen years.
After cartwheeling into a clothesline, getting her driver’s license was postponed, her parents thought she needed more practice going in a straight line. She sang in many High School productions and was Valedictorian of Sayre High School in Pennsylvania. After graduation she worked as a bank teller while attending business school.
Several of her classmates were killed in the bombing at Pearl Harbor, she was determined to serve as a WAC nurse. She was accepted into the nursing program at Bryn Mawr, an all girls school in Philadelphia. By the time she graduated (Saluditarian) the Armistice had been signed and the war was over.
Instead of going to the war front she was assigned to a hospital in Wood, Wisconsin where returning soldiers were sent to recover from their injuries. There she met Richard Anthony Kirsling who was from Stevens Point, Wisconsin. They were married on Sept 6, 1947.
He was a combat photographer through World War II, The Korean and Vietnam Wars. They traveled across country from California to New York bringing three children into their lives. She enjoyed their travels, especially the four years spent in France.
He was involved with many top secrets military activities, performing much of the early animation work in putting the first satellite into space. Their final stop was Albuquerque where their fourth child was born. He was stationed at Kirtland Air Force Base and she a pediatric nurse at then Bernalillo County Indian Hospital (now UNMH).
She worked nights for many years, later as the hospital night supervisor and in her last of 40 years set up the QA program. She was president of the local nurses association. She loved caring for children, saying they were much easier to care for than adults.
She was inducted into the Who’s Who in American Nursing for the love, compassion and dedication she showed in her profession. She bowled in handicap and scratch leagues and presided as league and city association president and secretary. She was an avid runner for 30 years, running her first 5k at the Duke City Marathon at age 65.
The running community knew her well. She competed in many, many 5k,10k and half marathons into her 90’s. She was named Golden Athlete, participating in local, state and National senior games.
She loved life, wanting to be an example of growing old gracefully. She will be reunited with her husband of 50 years at the Santa Fe National Cemetery in Santa Fe, NM. She was preceded in death by her husband Richard Kirsling, parents Leona and Albert Bassage, sisters Luella Dobson and Doris (Duane) Ferris, grandson Michael J.Montoya.
She is survived by her brother Winfield Bassage, her children Kathleen Kirsling, Colleen (Lou) Burns, Michael (Lynn) Kirsling, and Richard J. Kirsling; grandchildren Christopher (Samantha) Montoya, Reilly and Preston Mein, Windie Burns (Shawn) Thompson, Samuel (Jennifer) Burns, Shaun (Amanda) Burns, Richard Kirsling; great grandchildren Alex Montoya, Jessica Montoya, Talon, Keagan and Treyvin Mein, Shawn Mein, Ashley and Tayler Thompson, Jake and Logan Burns, Chloe and Conor Burns and several step great-grandchildren. Her beautiful life will be celebrated on Thursday, January 3, 2019, at 9:00 a.m. at The Shrine of St. Bernadette Catholic Church in Albuquerque. Burial will follow at the Santa Fe National Cemetery at 3:00 p.m. Pallbearers will be Mike Kirsling, Lou Burns, Shaun Burns, Sam Burns, Tayler Thompson, Chris Montoya, Windie Burns and Preston Mein.
Honorary pallbearers will be Ashley Thompson and John Carpenter. In Lieu of flowers donations may be made to the VFW Post 3370 in care of Colleen Burns. SERVICES Funeral Service Thursday, January 03, 2019 9:00 AM Shrine of St. Bernadette 11509 Indian School Rd.
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