Mary Elizabeth Thurman died at her home in Eureka, Calif., on February 16, 2015 of cancer.

Mary was born on April 17, 1938 in San Francisco, Calif. to Edwin and Edla Shaw. She graduated from Balboa High School in 1956. For some time after her graduation, Mary lived and worked in San Francisco. Eventually she met the love of her life, Al Thurman. Mary and Al were destined to be together and soon made plans for a happy life with lots of children. They were wed on May 1, 1967 in Eureka, Calif., where they would soon raise the family they dreamed of.

In 1970, they were thrilled to find out they were going to be the proud parents of not one, but two babies. When the big day finally came they couldn’t believe it when the doctor told them a boy and a girl (James and Deborah). A couple of years later they were elated to find they would have another child. Heather was born healthy but it was soon found that she suffered badly from asthma. Their last daughter, Heidi was born before their plans ended in tragedy. Al passed away on October 10, 1976. Mary was left behind to raise 4 small children on her own, yet not completely alone; thankfully her mother, sister and brother-in-law were always there for them. The years went on with good times and bad.

At a time that should have been filled with joy because Deborah had just been married, tragedy struck again. Heather, who had spent much of her life battling asthma, passed away and left Mary and her family shaken.

Through the years Mary’s life was filled with the joy of grandchildren. After retiring from her career of home health care work and house cleaning Mary would spend much of her time working in her yard and in her home.

In 2013, when Mary fell and broke her hip, it was discovered that she had liver cancer. After several trips to San Francisco for treatment she was blessed with two more years to spend with her family, enjoying her grandchildren and traveling, even gaining a great-granddaughter.

Mary loved to travel and always dreamed of going “north to Alaska”. During her reprieve, she finally got that chance. In 2013, she and her eldest daughter and three of her grandchildren made that dream come true. Mary was also blessed by her son and daughter-in-law with a trip to Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks.

Her last few days came somewhat unexpectedly as she had just been given a new hip before her health began to deteriorate quickly. Her children brought her home from the nursing home, where she was recovering from surgery, when it became evident that her time to be with her savior was drawing near. The days before she passed were spent surrounded by family and friends. There would be no doubt that Mary knew she was well loved.

Mary is preceded in death by her father, Edwin George Shaw and her mother, Edla Cecilia (Sanborn) Shaw, her brothers, Edwin and William Shaw, her husband, Homer Alexander Thurman, her beloved daughter Heather Elizabeth Thurman and grandson Terrance James Cardoza.

Mary is survived by her sister, Susan P. Crossman, brother-in-law Stan Crossman and nephew Thomas L. Crossman of Willow Creek, Calif.; her son, James A. Thurman, and daughter-in-law Sharon Thurman (of Loleta, Calif.) and granddaughter Alliceà (Thurman) Crosswhite; her daughter, Deborah P. Buck and son-in-law Wiley Buck (of Ferndale) and grandchildren Matthew Buck, Sarah Buck, Joshua Buck and Joseph Buck; her daughter Heidi Miller and son-in-law Corey Miller (of Glasgow, Montana); and grandchildren Dannyell (Miller) Hover, Jimmie Miller, Amber (Miller) Stewart (of Gaithersburg, Md.), Levi Miller and Emma Miller; her cousins William Dutra and Shirley Dutra of Eureka and their children.

There will be a graveside service, Friday, February 20, 2015, at 12 o’clock p.m. at Oceanview Cemetery, in the Camilla Garden.

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The above obituary was submitted by Mary Thurman’s family. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.