Mary Ellen Louise Crase

Mary Ellen Louise Crase lived a life that was entirely her own.

She was the youngest of eight children, a daughter, a sister, a mother, a friend, a fierce supporter, a gamer, a fighter, and a woman who somehow collected people everywhere she went. Mary built communities around herself in person and online, and if the size of the crowds she gathered here is any indication, we imagine she has already started doing the same wherever she is now.

Mary’s life was not always an easy one. She faced more than her share of difficult days, complicated chapters, heartache, and battles. But Mary fought. Again and again, she found a way to keep moving forward. She could be stubborn, determined, loud, funny, loving, frustrating, generous, and completely unforgettable.

Above everything else, Mary deeply loved her family.

She was the mother of three daughters, whom she loved fiercely and without condition. Mary wanted her girls to know they were loved, but she also wanted them to have the freedom to discover who they were for themselves. She supported them, worried about them, fought for them, laughed with them, and would have done anything she could to help them. Although they now have to continue their lives without their mother physically beside them, we believe Mary’s love for them did not end with her death. She will be watching, worrying, cheering, probably offering unsolicited opinions, and loving them from wherever she is.

Mary had a remarkable ability to accept people as they were. She didn’t need someone to look like her, believe like her, live like her, or fit neatly into anyone else’s expectations to deserve her friendship and kindness. Her world had room for people. That is one of the reasons so many people found their way into it.

And if Mary liked you, there was a pretty good chance she was eventually going to make you play a game.

Mary was a queen of board games and games of just about every kind. Some of our family’s best memories of her are sitting around a table playing together, competing, laughing, arguing over rules, and doing it all again. She loved Lagoon, camping, adventures with her children and family, and the simple opportunities to get people together. She even found time near the end of her life to wage a characteristically Mary-sized battle against Flock cameras, because apparently Mary was never going to run out of things she felt strongly enough about to fight for.

She was raised in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and, as she grew older, followed a spiritual path that became uniquely her own. Mary searched, questioned, learned, believed, and found meaning in her own way. We find comfort now in believing that her journey has continued somewhere beyond what we can see.

Mary also carried the memory of her many “Angel Babies.” We hope that one of the great reunions waiting for her was with those little souls she carried in her heart.

And we hope Mom was there too.

Mary was preceded in death by her mother, Donna Marilyn Crase (Taylor). There is tremendous comfort for our family in imagining mother and daughter together again. After years apart, perhaps that reunion came far too soon for those of us here, but not a moment too soon for them.

Mary leaves behind her three beloved daughters, her father, Thomas Lee Crase, her seven older siblings, extended family, and an enormous community of friends and people whose lives crossed hers in ways large and small.

For those of us who were her siblings, there is another truth that is difficult to put into words.

Mary was the youngest of eight of us.

She wasn’t supposed to be the first one gone.

There were supposed to be more board games. More trips. More days at Lagoon. More camping. More visits. More arguments and ridiculous conversations. More ordinary days that none of us realized we would someday desperately wish we could have back.

There should have been more time.

But the measure of Mary’s life will not simply be how long she was here. It will be found in her daughters as they continue to grow. It will be found in the people she accepted when they needed somewhere to belong. It will be found in the friends she collected, the communities she created, the battles she fought, the games played around countless tables, and the stories about Mary that will continue to be told for many years to come.

Mary Ellen Louise Crase was loved.

She was complicated. She was resilient. She was fiercely herself.

And she will be deeply, deeply missed.

We love you, Mary.

Go find Mom.

And save us a seat at the game table.

A memorial service will be held on Friday, September 4, 2026, at 11:00am at Southern Utah Mortuary (190 N. 300 W., Cedar City, UT). Visitations will be held on Thursday evening from 5-7pm and again on Friday prior to the service from 10:00am – 10:45am, both at the Mortuary. Final arrangements are under the direction of Southern Utah Mortuary. To share online condolences, please visit www.mortuary.org.

In lieu of flowers, contributions to support Mary’s children during this difficult transition may be made via GoFundMe at https://gofund.me/ae24136ab. The family deeply appreciates your kindness and support.