Mary Ellen Gies, 65

Senior Master Sgt. Mary Ellen Gies, after many victories in a long struggle with cancer, passed away peacefully on the night of Nov. 16, 2020.

Mary was born in St. Ignatius to Al and Helen Gies on Dec. 5, 1954. The youngest of thirteen children, Mary was quick to develop the fiercely independent spirit that would define her as she blazed new paths throughout her life.

Mary joined the Air Force in 1978, first reporting to the Air Force Logistics Center at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. Beginning in 1980, with her selection for a special duty assignment in the postal career field, Mary’s military career brought her around the world, with assignments in the Philippines, Korea and Germany — as well as countless visits to military post offices across Europe, the Middle East and Africa — before the decade was through.

In 1989, Mary retrained in the contracting career field and began an assignment at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. From there, Mary continued to travel the world — always with her dog Teddy at her side. In her new role Mary’s military assignments included supporting joint and coalition forces in Saudi Arabia in 1994 and supporting peacekeeping operations in Kosovo in 1999. She eagerly faced each new challenge. A warranted contracting officer, Sgt. Gies’s military awards and decorations included the Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters, the Air Force Commendation Medal with three oak leaf clusters, the Air Force Achievement Medal with one oak leaf cluster, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, the Southwest Asia Service Medal with one Bronze Star, and the NATO Medal.

After her retirement from the military in 2000, Mary moved to Mead, Wash. Mary’s home in Mead was previously owned by her sister, Kay, and is the site of many family memories. Mary painstakingly renovated the home and filled it with an impressively presented (and meticulously organized) collection of treasures from her travels around the world. From her home in Mead, she also journeyed to new destinations like Mexico and Costa Rica, welcoming each new opportunity for growth.

Once settled in Mead, Mary began a second career in the U.S. Postal Service. Like every task she approached, Mary went above and beyond to tackle her new duties. Her on-point and on-time approach earned praise from her coworkers and the people on her mail route alike.

While always busy with work, Mary’s devotion to those around her continued to shine through during these years. After the death of her beloved Teddy, she welcomed a series of new canine companions into her home — Xena, Tobias and finally Sassy — loving each with a unique and special attention. She opened her home to many human friends and family, too, hosting her nephew Nathan during his sophomore year of high school and caring for her sister Jeannie following an illness until her death in 2013. When her nephew Guy needed a kidney, no one was surprised to see Mary step up to the task.

In December 2017, Mary was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. Sharing the news with her family, she promised that she “would not let it slow (her) down.” It didn’t.

After 10 years of service in the USPS, Mary began her second retirement as planned in January 2018. She continued to seek out new adventures in retirement, from kayaking down the Spokane River with friends to traveling across the country to visit her sister Shirley.

Throughout her life, Mary strived to further her education. She held an associate degree in information management and contract management. She also acquired several times more than the necessary requirements for a bachelor’s degree, but not in the right combinations at the right institutions. In recognition of her achievements and her life of service, Mary was awarded an honorary bachelor’s degree by the University of Montana in November 2020.

Mary was preceded in death by her father, Alfred John; mother Helen; brothers Bradley, Bill, Dan and Stan; and sisters Kay and Jeannie. She is survived by her brothers Jim (Wash.), Charley (Neb.), Randy (Okl.) and John (Wash.); sisters Shirley Tennison (Ariz.) and Linda (Mont.); and her many nieces and nephews. Sassy also survives her, and while a bit confused about where mom is at the moment, will remain well cared for by Mary’s sister Linda.

A funeral mass was celebrated Nov. 21 at the St. Ignatius Mission Catholic Church, under the direction of Foster Funeral Home & Crematory in St. Ignatius. Following the funeral, Mary was honored by the Air Force Color Guard in a ceremony out front of the church. The pallbearers were Jim Gies, Charley Gies, Randy Gies and John Gies. Honorary pallbearers were David Christopher, Devlin Sheridan, Marcus Sheridan and Jimmy Gies.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you consider honoring Mary’s memory with a donation to the St. Ignatius Mission Church (stignatiusmission.org), Humane Society of Western Montana (myhswm.org) or Hospice of Missoula (hospiceofmissoula.com).