Mary Elizabeth Curle (85) of Mattoon and Effingham

Mary Elizabeth Curle, 85, died peacefully May 8 at the Willow Breeze SBL Hospice House, Mattoon, IL.

A visitation will be held Saturday, May 18 from 12:30 to 1:00 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church, 600 West Temple Street, Effingham. A memorial service to honor and celebrate Mary will follow at 1:00 p.m. at the church.

Mary was a beloved mother, friend and spouse, and her passing has saddened those who knew and loved her. Mary was a vivacious, enthusiastic person, always ready for an adventure. She liked to discover places, people, books, music, cuisines; the list is long, and she always brought a story back from her discoveries to regale family and friends. In her later years of her life, she became a passionate dog owner. In fact, it was never sure who owned whom! Mary was a part of a generation of mothers and homemakers in the late 60s and early 70s who, once their children were older, attended college, commuting from their homes, while still managing the household. She proudly finished her degree in elementary education in 1974 from Eastern Illinois University. She particularly enjoyed teaching fifth grade where she said the students were still children on the cusp of being teenagers. She lived almost her entire life in Illinois, from Quincy to Effingham, with a few years on the shores of Lake Michigan in Indiana and Michigan, then next to the Chicago area, and finally back to Effingham. Wherever she went, she made the place a home, making it beautiful and welcoming for family and friends. Entertaining was a real joy for her, and she would spend hours cooking, decorating and preparing for her parties. She planted a flower garden in all her homes, which brought her great joy, and to her despair, a lot of weeds. Mary was a jill of so many trades in her life. A teacher, a tutor, daycare manager, retail sales in clothing, jewelry, cookware, food, among others; the red thread through all these disparate professions was her joy in meeting, serving, and talking to people. And of course, all these trades provided her an endless supply of funny stories and anecdotes.

Mary was on born on May 12, 1938, in Quincy, Illinois, daughter of the late Chester and Thelma Richardson.

She is survived by her son Bruce Hedgcock and his spouse, Arnaud Fusade of Paris, France, her son Dwight Hedgcock and his spouse Liz of Downers Grove, her granddaughter Caroline Hedgcock and her partner Anna Shallman of Minneapolis, and her daughter Suellen Reimers of Effingham and two granddaughters Jennifer Huelsbusch of Franklin, Tennessee, and Laura Reimers of Chicago.

Preceding her in death were her son Michael Hedgcock (his surviving partner is Steve Wagner), her husband, Pierre “Bud” Curle and her sister Ruthanne Morris.

The family would like to thank Dr. Sean Flynn and his staff for the incredibly compassionate care for Mary, the Willow Breeze SBL Hospice House and the staff with a special thanks to Cailin, Lori, Meredith and Victoria, for their grace and care during her last days, and her friends who accompanied her over the last year. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be made to the Willow Breeze SBL Hospice House, 10660 County Road 800 N, Matton, IL 61938.