Mary Anne Blair
Mary Anne Blair (nee Raymond), cherished wife, mother, grandma, sister, aunt, and friend, passed away peacefully and surrounded by family on July 10, 2025, at the age of 72. Born on February 1, 1953, to Charlie and Ann (nee Porto) Raymond, Mary Anne’s life was marked by a level of love for her family that knew no bounds, care and concern of all she met, and an immense dedication to serve others.
Mary Anne grew up in the city of Bellwood and was a proud graduate of Immaculate Heart of Mary High School. Her pursuit of higher education led her to Quincy College, where she made lifelong friendships and met the love of her life, Donald. Their love story began on campus and they married in September of 1974. Together they built a life in Woodridge, IL filled with love, laughter, and the joyous chaos that comes with raising three daughters.
She was a devoted mother to Jennifer (John Albright) Blair, Stephanie (Matt) Campbell, and Katie (Mike) Reed. She cherished her role as grandma with her whole heart, doting on Connor, Tommy, Piper, Hannah, Charlie, and Abby. Mary Anne held a special place in her heart for her brother, Chuck, and carried the memory of her late brother, Anthony (late Margaret), with her always.
Family was the cornerstone of Mary Anne’s world. She was the quintessential Super Mom, who made sure stories were told, memories were made, and everyone felt blanketed in love. Her kindness was a gift she shared generously with all those who knew her. She cherished the memories of time spent with friends traveling, celebrating events, and just doing everyday life with them. She lived by the motto, “Come on in, we’ll pull up another chair”. She opened her heart and home to countless friends and family.
Mary Anne wore many hats throughout her life. While wife, mom, and grandma were her proudest, she held a number of other roles. For nearly 40 years, she served her community as Commissioner for the Woodridge Board of Police Commissioners and went on to serve as a Trustee for the Village of Woodridge. She was a member of Woodridge Rotary Club and a Eucharistic Minister at St. Scholastica Catholic Church. Additionally, she served on the Illinois Police Officers Memorial Committee since 1990. Doing for others was Mary Anne’s way of putting good out into the world.
Mary Anne will be remembered as a loving, generous, and selfless woman. Her legacy is one of unwavering commitment to family, a life filled with laughter, and a heart that always put others first. Her memory will live on in the hearts of all who were fortunate enough to know her, and she will be deeply missed.
Memorial visitation 3-9 p.m., Tuesday, July 15th at Hallowell & James Funeral Home, 301 75th St., Downers Grove. Family and friends will meet Wednesday, July 16th, at St. Scholastica Church, 7800 Janes Ave, Woodridge, for a Memorial Mass at 10 a.m. Interment private.
In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests donations be made in her memory to the Illinois Police Officers Memorial, an organization that was extremely near and dear to Mary Anne’s heart. Donations will be used to provide scholarships to Family Survivors and to support their attendance at the National Police Memorial.
Funeral home phone 630-964-6500
As a Dispatcher at Woodridge Police before going to a central dispatch, working 1999-2011, she always made a point to stop in at the radio room to say hello! She truly cared about all citizens, but had a special bond with Law Enforcement, she will be deeply missed and remembered
Mary Anne was a giving, caring and fun person to all! Thank you for making this world better by just being you!❤️
Seeing the notice of Mary Anne’s passing has saddened me.
I worked part-time at the bakery when I was a schoolboy. I still tell people stories about working there. My Father would drive me over to work some Friday nights with the guys who made bread late at night. I lifted and toted stuff for them and cleaned up. Washing and scrubbing pans was my specialty!
Chas made beautiful wedding cakes! Sometimes he’d have me make burgers in the big oven. I drove a car for the first time one hot Saturday. (I think it was a 1963 Chevy station wagon.) The cake slid a bit on the way to the venue. We unloaded it and it Chas just threw me his keys and told me to get back to the bakery and get supplies from his wife. I had never driven before and I couldn’t tell him that! His wife was always friendly to me. She saw my white face, asked me if I had a license, I sad no…she took the supplies to him.
Mary Anne and I were not friends, we worked together sometimes after school. She ran the front and I cleaned up. I have fond memories of her. I remember her coming back with a cake in her hands and asking me to decorate it for a birthday! I was not Mr. Raimondi! She just looked at me confidently and I decorated it after a fashion! I always thought we’d meet up again and share stories, but God had other plans.
I live near Toulon, Illinois and will not be able to attend Mary Anne’s calling hours. I will set aside a time tonight to thank God for sharing her with us. God Bless her memory!