Mary E. Irby

Heaven gained the most lovable angel on the first day of Spring. Our sweet, kind, loving sister, aunt, niece and friend passed away peacefully on Thursday, March 20, 2025 at Gladwin Pines Nursing and Rehabilitation Center at the age of 64. She was born on April 16, 1960 to the late Van and Elizabeth (Weiler) Irby Jr. in Bay City, Michigan. An Essexville girlie, born and raised, she attended Hughes Elementary before continuing her education at Handy in Bay City until she graduated from its special education program in 1986. After graduation, Mary worked at Do All Inc. as an Employment Service Consumer for many years. She retired from a dedicated career with Do All in 2017.

Truly a one-of-a-kind person, Mary had a keen ability to make friends wherever she went—to know her was to love her. Mary especially loved going out, meeting new people, and sharing a good belly laugh. In fact, her booming laugh would instantly brighten the darkest of days. Mary’s love for her family and friends was boundless and she made sure you knew you were important. She enjoyed creating art, crafting, and gifting her works to loved ones. She was also a die-hard fan of Donny and Marie Osmond and loved to display their nostalgia-inducing vinyl records whilst dancing with her people to her favorite songs. Indeed, she single-handedly introduced a younger generation to the beauty and hype of wholesome 1970s teen idols!

Mary is survived by her sister, Jean Clare of Essexville, MI; brother, Thomas (Shelly) Irby of Muskegon, MI; nieces and nephews: Aimee Clare, David Clare, Johnathan Clare, Felicia (Travis) Bisson, Kyle Irby, and Kevin Irby; aunts: Barb (Ken) Symborski and Donna Weiler; and her uncle, Joe (Judy) Weiler. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by several aunts and uncles whom she loved very much.

The family would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Gladwin Pines for taking such wonderful care of Mary, with particular thanks to her caregiver, Theresa, who always went above and beyond for Mary’s care. They would also like to thank the Staff at All Valley Hospice Care for their compassion during this difficult time.

A funeral Service for Mary will take place on Monday, March 24, 2025 at 7:00 p.m. at Gephart Funeral Home. Officiating will be E. J. Brown. The family will be present to receive visitors on Monday at the Funeral Home from 5:00 p.m. until the time of the service. A private interment will take place at a later date at Floral Gardens Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the ARC of Bay County at https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=U7MBEPNXAZJVN.