9/26/32 – 2/4/25 92 years

Mary Ann Allemann of Richland, Washington passed away February 4, 2025, surrounded by her family. While her long battle with Alzheimer’s Disease robbed her of language, it could not take her spirit and love for people. Mary Ann was born in Brighton, Oregon September 26, 1932, to Ellen Josephine Healy Rands and Royal B. “Buster” Rands. Her sister and “partner in crime” Nancy followed two years later. The Rands girls made quite a pair! Mary Ann’s fearlessness and her adventurous spirit were evident early on. Mary Ann was not afraid of the dark; she was happy to walk her 16-year-old aunt home after she babysat Mary Ann and Nancy!

Mary Ann graduated at the top of her class from Boardman (Oregon) High School and from Oregon State University in 1954 with a degree in Elementary Education. Her education included a summer semester at the University of Hawaii. She was a proud member of Kappa Kappa Gamma Sorority.

Richland was a booming town full of young people in 1954! Mary Ann joined the Desert Ski Club and began her teaching career in Richland Public Schools at Jason Lee Elementary. At that time, single teachers lived in a female dormitory and Mary Ann made lifelong friends there and in the ski club. Later, at Jefferson Elementary she educated generations of Richland children in her strict but loving 5th grade classroom and developed close friendships with many of her colleagues. Mary Ann made friends wherever she went and in whatever she was involved with.

In 1959, Mary Ann headed for West Germany where she taught for a year at the American Air Force Base in Bad Kreuznack, West Germany. In Europe, she visited Paris, Munich, Rome, and Zurich, and spent her dollars on her set of Bavarian China and a new Mercedes! She had met engineer Rudy Allemann at a ski club party prior to her year abroad. (The parties were legendary, fueled by artillery punch and still laughed about decades later!) Mary Ann and Rudy were married December 29, 1960. Bill, Susan and Ginny followed shortly after, each arriving a year after the other. The family moved into their brand-new home at 2219 Enterprise Drive in 1967, a house and decor she loved to the very end! Having “three under three” kept her busy, but then, she was comfortable with a full plate being in constant motion. She was a devoted mother to Bill, Susan, and Ginny. They were the light of her life!

When the kids went off to elementary school, Mary Ann returned to teaching. Between work, full-time mothering, civic volunteer work, and the gift of social gab, there wasn’t enough hours in the day. She continued her education with a summer at Central Washington University and later, attaining her Masters in Education at Heritage College. Although always busy, Mary Ann made time to chat. Her extra-long phone cord stretched the length of her kitchen, allowing her to catch up with a friend or one of her kids while cooking or cleaning. Friends knew that if they needed a favor or someone to pitch in, Mary Ann was an easy ask, always gracious and always saying yes. While Richland was a relatively small town, Mary Ann brought the world to her children by hosting people from Japan, Switzerland, Belgium, and elsewhere, and by traveling with her children on summer trips to Europe. She was interested in world cultures and was involved with AFS as well as relief organizations.

A well-earned retirement after 30 years led directly into grandparenthood! A nurturing, positive “born-to-the-role” grandmother, Mary Ann’s “babies” could do no wrong. She and Rudy delighted in creating a Grandma and Grandpa’s amusement park of slip and slides, swimming, bike riding, craft projects and Easter egg hunts. They were always willing to have the grandchildren for the weekend or longer, cooking their favorite foods, taking them on trips to the annual Benton Franklin County Fair, Chuck E Cheese, and the Spudnut Shop. They made annual camping trips to Orcas, hikes to Naches Loop and Grand Park, and attended the grandchildren’s school and sporting events.

Mary Ann was especially active in civic and social activities in her retirement. There was not a committee she could say no to! To name just a few… Richland Planning Commission, AAUW, Kiwanis Club (Kiwanian of the Year 2001, Citrus Fundraising Sale Chair, County Fair Ice Cream Stand Manager), Women Investing Now (WIN!) Investment Club, Ombudsperson for Long Term Care, Leslie Groves North Park Restoration Project, Planned Parenthood. Between bridge parties, crewing for Rudy at glider contests (and receiving numerous “Unsung Hero” awards), holiday gatherings, costume parties, and auction and fundraising events, Mary Ann was a busy person, and busy mostly in the service of others. Old friends remained close in later years, but she and Rudy continued to create new friendships as the years passed in groups such as Fun, Fit & Over-Fifty, the sailplane community, Kiwanis, City Council and committees.

Mary Ann loved a sale and many in Richland remember her legendary yard sales. While she enjoyed shopping Nordstrom, Frederick & Nelson and the Bon, she also enjoyed hunting wild asparagus, picking strawberries and apples, and finding the perfect cantaloupe (experience from working at the melon stands in Hermiston, Oregon in her youth.) Her generosity spoiled friends and family alike– Mary Ann never met a dinner bill she didn’t pick up! She loved parties and her unmistakable laughter could be heard at many in north Richland. Mary Ann had a memory for every detail. She knew thousands of Richlanders, their families, their connections and back stories. Dementia stole her words and these details but could not suppress her love for people and the sparkle in her blue eyes.

Mary Ann was preceded in death by her parents, sister Nancy Renschler, and by three days, her beloved husband of 64 years, Rudy. She is survived by children William Allemann (Julie), Susan Allemann (Dave Messner), and Ginny Allemann (Jerry Howe) as well as grandchildren Wyatt, Catherine, Molly, Emily, Libby, Charlie, and Josie as well as nieces, nephews, cousins, and many friends. Please join us in celebrating the lives of Mary Ann and Rudy on Saturday, May 31, 2025 at 10:30 AM at Events at Sunset Gardens in Richland. Memorial gifts may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association or a charity of your choice.