Mary "Mitzi" Desmarteau, 82, wife, mother, and Master Gem Appraiser, passed away September 8, 2021, in Wichita, KS.
The
Rosary will be on Monday, September 13 at 5:30 pm. Funeral Mass will be
at 11:00 am, Tuesday, September 14, both at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic
Church, 1321 N. Stratford Ln, Wichita, KS.
Mitzi is preceded in
death by her husband, Duane; her sisters, Barb, Peggy, and Jane. She is
survived by her brother, Tim; and four sons, Mike, Mark (Dee), Monte,
and Marty (Judy); as well as four grandchildren, Jason, Jordon, Beau,
Michelle; and one great-grandson, Adam; as well as her beloved pet, Zoe.
Mitzi
grew up in Hays, Kansas, and loved her daily trips to the library a
short walk from their home. She attended St. Anthony Parish Girls High
Catholic School. Swimming was a favorite activity along with reading.
Mitzi graduated in 1957 and was married to Duane from Damar, Kansas in
1958.
The couple moved to Wichita where they started a family and Mitzi attended Sacred Heart College.
Mitzi
had always loved precious gemstones and began to study them as a hobby.
She worked at Wetzel's in downtown Wichita and while there started the
Gem Institute of America's Appraisers course. Under the America Society
of Appraisers, she tested for, and received her Master Gem Appraisers
certification. Mitzi continued to work at Wetzel's, and at Barriers
Jewelry in East Wichita.
Mitzi, while somewhat claustrophobic,
stirred up her courage to venture down into diamond Mines while
traveling in Africa to see the stones at their point of origin. She
traveled to numerous countries both in the jewelry business and as an
energetic tourist. Though she was traveling around the world on a
regular basis, Mitzi never adopted the "travel light" mentality. While
traveling in Asia with Mike visiting palaces and temples sites in
Thailand, it took two grown men to move her suitcase. When Mitzi stepped
up and moved the case herself with one hand, the men were both shocked,
and amazed. When they learned she was a tender 68 they were speechless.
Mitzi was a constant and positive force in all her families'
endeavors and adventures, supporting numerous local and national
charities, as well as those overseas. She assisted the widows and
orphans in both Afghanistan and Iraq, to include the shipment of
clothing, food, and toys to those devastated families by personally
rounding up an assistance posse obtaining and shipping those items in
volume. A fierce patriot she loved her country and community and took
many people under her wing who were immigrants to the country, or the
state. Many Christmas Eves saw visitors to her home she had never seen
before, people who had been brought to her home by sons who found a soul
in need at that time of the year. All were treated warmly as family on
the spot by Mitzi, who seemed to grow her friends and family a bit more
with each passing season.
In lieu of flowers the family would like
donations to be made to the Phillips Fundamental Learning Center, 2220
E. 21 St N, Wichita, KS, 67214 (316-684-7373). Please check their
website for easy donation access, https://www.funlearn.org/.