Mary Fergus

Mary Theresa Fergus, nee Lee, greeted friends and strangers alike with a warm smile, kindness and reliable Irish wit - often punctuated with a wink. Despite enduring dementia in recent years, Mary exuded kindness throughout her life. She passed away Dec. 22, 2025 at her Chicago home of 60 years, family at her side. Mary was born April 16, 1934 in Ballyconneely, County Galway, Ireland, the second oldest of Martin and Annie Lee’s seven children. Her kind disposition was matched by an equally-responsible mindset that she applied to everything she did as a hard-working child and teen. Mary first left home at age 16 to work in Dublin and after two years, made her way to America by ship in 1952. Within two weeks of arriving in Chicago, she took a live-in domestic job that she kept until 1963 when she married John “Jack” Fergus, a native of County Mayo, Ireland. The couple settled in the Edgewater/Andersonville neighborhood where they raised their daughter, Mary Ann Fergus. The family enjoyed neighborhood friendships and were active parishioners of St. Gregory the Great Church. Mary closely followed national and local news and politics and enjoyed dancing, cooking, baking and spending time with family and friends. While she did not have access to a formal education beyond elementary school, Mary was bright and had a Ph.D. in common sense. In addition to her daughter, Mary’s survivors include her beloved granddaughter, Olivia Claire Fergus-Brummer, brothers Thomas (the late Margaret) in England, Martin (Mary), Patrick (the late Noreen) in Ireland, and Michael (Mary) Lee in Chicago, plus several dear nieces, nephews and cousins. Mary’s husband, their baby daughter Theresa, Mary’s brother Peter (the late Margaret) and sister, Bridie (the late Coleman) McDonough, preceded Mary in death as well as one of her top fans, her son-in-law, David Brummer, who passed away four days prior to Mary. Please join family and friends for a funeral mass at St. Gregory the Great Church, 5545 N. Paulina St., Chicago, at 11 a.m. Friday, Jan. 2, 2026, with visitation in the church at 10 a.m. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in Mary’s honor to Misericordia, 6300 N. Ridge, Chicago, 60660 or https://www.misericordia.com/. Arrangements by Inclusive Funeral Care, 773-318-1305 or www.InclusiveFuneralCare.com.

Mary Fergus

April 16, 1934 - December 22, 2025