Obituary for Mary Ann Cleminson (Koch)
Mary Ann Cleminson, 80, of Martinsburg, peacefully passed away on November 5, 2022, surrounded by her family, after a long battle with cancer.
Mary was born on August 15, 1942, to Eugene (Mike) and Alice Koch in Milwaukee, WI. After graduating from Bay View High School in 1960, she studied at the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse, where she obtained her Bachelor of Science in 1964, with a major in English and minors in Mathematics and History. She started her teaching career in Janesville, WI, and while teaching at the same school, she met and married her husband, Rob, to whom she has been married for 57 years.
Over the years, Mary taught in Wisconsin, Iowa, West Virginia, and Maryland in several subjects, including English, Social Studies, Mathematics, and Computer Science. She was the first teacher in Berkeley County to introduce the use of computers in the classroom.
While working full-time and raising her family, she continued her education and earned her Master of Science in Educational Administration in 1983. She pursued further coursework from '86-'94 and was a dissertation shy of achieving her PhD. Mary served for many years on various state educational committees and was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa academic honor society.
She ultimately went to work for the Regional Educational Service Agency VIII, covered eight counties in WV, and helped implement the statewide educational data network until her retirement in 2002.
Throughout her life, Mary enjoyed traveling and loved visiting new places. After retirement, she continued to explore and, at last count, visited over 50 different countries around the globe. She vividly remembered each journey and loved to share stories. She also traveled extensively within the United States; Scottsdale annually, and walked many beaches. She was gifted at word, math, and logic puzzles and had the ability to answer almost every Jeopardy trivia question. She found ways to celebrate and enjoyed decorating for every holiday.
For many years, she volunteered at Berkeley Medical Center's Wellness Center, served on the Board at Berkeley Senior Center, and participated in Sister Acts, as well as other causes close to her heart.
She spent the majority of her last six years being treated at the Cleveland Clinic, residing on and off in Ohio with her daughter, Ann, and son-in-law, Matthew.
She enjoyed all her friendships, some going back as far as 65 years. She was truly a wonderful wife, mother, and sister. She was also a cherished in-law, aunt, and cousin. Left to honor her memory are her husband, Rob; daughter, Ann (Matthew); son, John; sister, Patricia Ellingson; as well as many other relatives.
The family will receive friends on Saturday, November 19, 2022, from 1:00-3:00 pm, with a memorial service to immediately follow at the Brown Funeral Home, 327 W King Street, Martinsburg, WV 25402.
Donations may be made in lieu of flowers to Martinsburg Union Rescue Mission, https://martinsburgunionrescuemission.com/donate/
Mary was born on August 15, 1942, to Eugene (Mike) and Alice Koch in Milwaukee, WI. After graduating from Bay View High School in 1960, she studied at the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse, where she obtained her Bachelor of Science in 1964, with a major in English and minors in Mathematics and History. She started her teaching career in Janesville, WI, and while teaching at the same school, she met and married her husband, Rob, to whom she has been married for 57 years.
Over the years, Mary taught in Wisconsin, Iowa, West Virginia, and Maryland in several subjects, including English, Social Studies, Mathematics, and Computer Science. She was the first teacher in Berkeley County to introduce the use of computers in the classroom.
While working full-time and raising her family, she continued her education and earned her Master of Science in Educational Administration in 1983. She pursued further coursework from '86-'94 and was a dissertation shy of achieving her PhD. Mary served for many years on various state educational committees and was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa academic honor society.
She ultimately went to work for the Regional Educational Service Agency VIII, covered eight counties in WV, and helped implement the statewide educational data network until her retirement in 2002.
Throughout her life, Mary enjoyed traveling and loved visiting new places. After retirement, she continued to explore and, at last count, visited over 50 different countries around the globe. She vividly remembered each journey and loved to share stories. She also traveled extensively within the United States; Scottsdale annually, and walked many beaches. She was gifted at word, math, and logic puzzles and had the ability to answer almost every Jeopardy trivia question. She found ways to celebrate and enjoyed decorating for every holiday.
For many years, she volunteered at Berkeley Medical Center's Wellness Center, served on the Board at Berkeley Senior Center, and participated in Sister Acts, as well as other causes close to her heart.
She spent the majority of her last six years being treated at the Cleveland Clinic, residing on and off in Ohio with her daughter, Ann, and son-in-law, Matthew.
She enjoyed all her friendships, some going back as far as 65 years. She was truly a wonderful wife, mother, and sister. She was also a cherished in-law, aunt, and cousin. Left to honor her memory are her husband, Rob; daughter, Ann (Matthew); son, John; sister, Patricia Ellingson; as well as many other relatives.
The family will receive friends on Saturday, November 19, 2022, from 1:00-3:00 pm, with a memorial service to immediately follow at the Brown Funeral Home, 327 W King Street, Martinsburg, WV 25402.
Donations may be made in lieu of flowers to Martinsburg Union Rescue Mission, https://martinsburgunionrescuemission.com/donate/