Obituary of Mary Elizabeth Thiessen

It is with heartfelt sadness and heartfelt hope for tomorrow that we announce the passing of our dear mother, Mary Thiessen (née Braun). Mary passed on March 27, 2024 after a very short battle with Metastatic Melanoma. She was preceded in death by her husband, Conrad, her brother-in-law Frank, her brother Alvin, and her parents, Peter and Lena Braun. She is survived by her two daughters, Amanda (Scott) Wallace and Emily (Drew) Unruh, her grandchildren Penny, Reid, and Genevieve, and her siblings Laura (Helmut), Alvin (Agatha), Theresa (Frank), Jack (Laverna), Elsie (Don), Peter (Gabriel), and Eleanor (Bruce). 

Mary is now reunited with her husband of 46 years, who passed just 7 weeks earlier. Before that, they loved spending time on road trips, local adventures and being with family and friends. She spent her career as a hairdresser, which included many years at Hollywood Salon in downtown St. Catharines, a short time teaching at George Brown College and the remaining time working from her home-based salon. She also spent some time doing hair at Tabor Manor, as well as traveling to clients who could no longer travel to her home. 

Mary also loved to bake. Growing up in St. Catharines as the youngest of 8 kids, Mary quickly picked up on her mother's baking prowess and her parents' gift for hospitality. She always insisted that their house have a guest room for visitors, and she consistently filled the freezer with baking, to always be prepared for guests. Dubbed as a “famous baker” by her youngest granddaughter, her love of baking even led to a small business venture in her retirement, where she would take orders from family and friends.

In lieu of flowers, we invite people to donate to Melanoma Canada. This organization advocates for and supports Canadians living with melanoma and skin cancer by providing helpful resources, education, psychosocial support services, and more.

A Celebration of Life service for Mary will be held at Cornerstone Community Church, 434 Hunter Rd, Niagara on the Lake, on Saturday, April 13th at 11:00am, with a luncheon to immediately follow. A private family inurnment will take place prior to the service.

To view the livestream at the time of the service please click this link - Livestream - Mary Thiessen