Mary Lou O'Gorman

Mary Lou (Thomazin) O’Gorman, 79, of Dakota Dunes, passed away peacefully on Thursday, September 29, 2022 at Sunrise Retirement Community.

A Mass of Christian Burial for Mary Lou will be at 10:30 A.M. Tuesday, October 4^th at Mater Dei, Immaculate Conception Catholic Church. Rev. Brad Pelzel will officiate.  Those wishing to join virtually may do so by following this link:

https://youtu.be/cbGyTV0ZYZQ

 Visitation will be on October 3rd, 2022 from 4:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M. at the Meyer Brothers Morningside Chapel at 6200 Morningside Ave. There will be a Rosary recited at 5:00 P.M. and Vigil Service to follow at 7 pm.  at the funeral home.   A lunch at the parish center will immediately follow the funeral.  Burial will be at Calvary Cemetery, Sioux City, IA after the lunch.  Arrangements are under the direction of Meyer Brothers Morningside Chapel.  Online condolences may be given at www.meyerbroschapels.com 

Mary Lou was born on April 9, 1943 at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Norfolk, Nebraska to William and Genevieve (Winkler) Thomazin who resided in Lindsay, NE.  The family moved to Sioux City in 1952. She attended Immaculate Conception Grade School and graduated from Bishop Heelan High School in 1961.  After high school she attended Wayne State Teachers College, Wayne, Nebraska.  She graduated in 1964 with a Bachelor Degree in Elementary Education.  In college she spotted her future husband, Terry O’Gorman in the cafeteria (called the “gag”).  The couple was married on August 22, 1964 at Immaculate Conception Church, Sioux City, Iowa.

On August 27, 1964 she began teaching with Terry at Herman Public School, Herman, Nebraska.  Her first classroom was a combination 5th and 6th grade room of 45 students.  Terry and Mary Lou then resided in Wayne, NE for a short time before moving to Sioux City, IA in August, 1965.  Mary Lou taught at St. Francis School to finish  out the 1966 school year as a substitute teacher.  She then became a stay at home mother.

Together, they were blessed with four children.  Mary Lou took great joy in living her vocation as a wife and mother.  She was a brownie scout leader, a T-ball coach, and an active church member (CCD teacher,  Marriage Preparation Sponsor for engaged couples, Altar Society, a lector, Eucharistic Minister, took communion to three special elderly ladies, and served on the board of Church Women United). She was proud of her involvement with the Cursillo Movement that brought many people closer to Christ.

Mary Lou returned to the classroom as a first grade teacher at Sacred Heart School in Sioux City in August 1984.  She retired in May 2008 after 24 years dedicated to the 1st graders at Sacred Heart.  Among her recognitions was the Diocese of Sioux City outstanding teacher award in 2003.  Many of her students remember the first Mass they planned and sung the song “Our God Is An Awesome God”.  She also introduced many of the 1st graders to a love of reading and math.  She made learning exciting and cared for all her students.

In her retirement years she kept active with involvement at Trinity Heights and at Holy Spirit Retirement Home.  She attended daily Mass as often as she could.  She started going to Holy Spirit Retirement Home in 2014 to attend Mass.  She stayed and visited and made friends with many of the residents.  She had many faith filled encounters with them over a period of 7 years.  At Trinity Heights, Queen of Peace she volunteered and assisted Beanie Cooper in the writing of the book “Trinity Heights, Queen of Peace” published in 2011.  Her spiritual life was daily Mass, rosaries, adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, and she wrote about her spiritual life in journals.  She was an avid reader.

A great honor was given to her when in 2019, her son Mark made the naming rights donation to Bishop Heelan Catholic High School.  The fieldhouse is named The O’Gorman Fieldhouse in her name for her 24 years of dedicated teaching at the Sacred Heart Catholic School.

Mary Lou was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in 1986 and lived an active life with the disease.  She was diagnosed with dementia at Mayo clinic in October, 2018 and was a participant in the Alzheimer Research study. 

Mary Lou is survived by her husband, Terry and her four children; son William “Todd” (Nam); son John (Eleanor) and their children Emma and Maya of North Andover, MA; Molly (Scott) Billings and their children Nicholas, Elizabeth, William of Omaha, NE; and Mark (Jennifer) and their children Elise, Luke, Jack of Western Springs, IL.  She is also survived by her brother William “Bill” Thomazin and wife Jeanne of St. Paul, MN; and sister Elizabeth Burger and her husband Jeff of Bowie, MD.  Also, surviving are many nieces and nephews who knew her as Aunt Woo along with numerous godchildren whom she prayed for daily.  

She was preceded in death by her parents William and Genevieve and her brother Jim Thomazin.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Trinity Heights/Queen of Peace or Bishop Heelan Catholic Schools.  The family would like to thank the Synergy caregivers for their loving care the last three years.