Video Tribute:Click Here

Mary Speer

Mary Frances "Fran" Speer, 93, of Severna Park, died of natural causes March 12 at Kris-Leigh Assisted Living in Severna Park.

Born Oct. 14, 1912, in Philadelphia, Pa., Mrs. Speer was the daughter of Nicholas and Mary Schaus. The family later moved to Baltimore where her father operated a corner grocery store and butcher shop in the Greektown area.

She married John W. Speer and raised three daughters in Dundalk. She worked as an executive secretary to the plant manager of Allied Chemical Corp. in Baltimore.

She and her husband moved to their retirement home on Kent Island in 1964. She enjoyed knitting, crossword puzzles, playing cards and shopping as well as spending time with grandchildren and family.

Mr. Speer is now deceased. Surviving are their daughters, Frances S. Villa of Baldwin in Baltimore County, Mary Ann Brandt of Penn Valley, Calif., and Joanne Elizabeth Gamba of Annapolis; 11 grandchildren; and 23 great-grandchildren.

She was the sister of the late Nicholas A. Schaus.

Visitation is from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Sunday at Barranco and Sons Severna Park Funeral Home, 495 Ritchie Highway, with a 7:30 p.m. wake service. A Mass of Christian burial will be said at 11 a.m. Monday at St. Rita's Catholic Church, 2907 Dunleer Road in Baltimore. Burial will be in Sacred Heart of Jesus Cemetery, German Hill Road, Dundalk. Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of the Chesapeake, 445 Defense Highway, Annapolis, MD 21401. Online condolences may be made to www.barrancofuneralhome.com .

As Published in "The Capital Newspaper" Annapolis Md 03/16/2006