Mary Kathleen

Pilker

Mary Kathleen Pilker of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, passed away on Sunday, November 17, 2019, at Avera Prince of Peace. Mary was born on June 22, 1934 to James and Francis Lass of Beresford. She grew up on a farm and walked with her siblings and neighbors to attend school in town. Mary graduated from Beresford High School in 1952 and from St. Joseph Mercy School of Nursing in Sioux City, Iowa, in 1955. She then began her 40-year career working as a Registered Nurse.

Mary was united in marriage to Zane Pilker on August 29, 1959. They made their home in Chamberlain, SD, near his family. They had four children before Zane passed away from cancer on December 29, 1964. Mary continued to work and raise her family in Chamberlain for the next three years and moved to Sioux Falls in 1968 to live closer to her mother and several sisters, who also had young families. She was very grateful throughout her life for the ongoing support of her family and friends.

The majority of Mary's nursing career was spent working at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Sioux Falls where she was a head nurse, specializing in Respiratory and Oncology. She was passionate about being a nurse and received great satisfaction working with other health care professionals from the Veterans Administration, Sioux Valley and McKennan Hospitals, and SD Public Health, to improve the quality of care for patients by developing and implementing in-home and hospital setting Hospice Care. She advocated for and improved pain-management and self-care training for patients and their families. Throughout her career, she received several professional recognitions. Mary did not hesitate to volunteer her nursing skills to help the Red Cross in California immediately following the Northridge Earthquake in 1994.

Upon retiring from full-time nursing in 1995, Mary continued to work various jobs until 2015. These included: employee at Whiffer's Sandwiches; life insurance assessment nurse; communication card assembly for people with disabilities; childcare for grandkids; and distributing food samples at Hy-Vee. She was a member and volunteer at Christ the King Catholic Church and volunteered countless hours at Bethany Lutheran Home. Mary loved playing Mah-Jongg, traveling (including hot air balloon rides), gardening, quilting, gathering with her high school and VA nurse friends, spending time with family, caring for extended family, and being a grandma and great-grandma. After moving to Assisted Living at the Prince of Peace Retirement Community in 2015, Mary continued to volunteer for the Humane Society by tying hundreds of dog blankets. She participated in as many activities as she could and encouraged other residents to join her. In 2016, she was honored to narrate her life story to music in a program called Memoirs, organized by the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra and performed by the Dakota Wind Quintet. Mary's family is grateful for all the residents and staff at Prince of Peace who cared for her and enriched her daily life.

Mary is survived by her children, Kathy (Kent) Boadwine, Sioux Falls, David (Cindy) Pilker, Whittier, CA, Terri (Tracy) Noldner, Sioux Falls and Donald Pilker, Kauai, HI; grandchildren, Daniel (Dominique), Brittney, Collin, Sarah (TJ), Megan, Austin, Matthew and Lindsey; great-grandsons, Zane and Eli; sisters, Patty Teeman, Sioux Falls, Jo Duffy, Oldham and Karen Lounsbery, Sioux Falls; brother-in-law, Gerald (Phyllis) Pilker, Rapid City; and many nieces and nephews and great-nieces and great-nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband; parents; and four siblings and their spouses: Raymond (Pat) Lass, Gene (Connie) Lass, Marjorie (Richard) Bellach, and Donna Lass; brothers-in-law, John Teeman, James Duffy, Gary Lounsbery, Vern Pilker; and sister-in-law, Lois (Virgil) Rose.

Rosary will begin at 4:30 pm on Friday, November 22, 2019 followed by visitation with family present 5-7 at Miller Funeral Home-Southside Chapel located at 7400 S. Minnesota Ave, Sioux Falls, SD. A Funeral Mass will be held at 10 am on Saturday, November 23, 2019 with a luncheon immediately following at Christ The King Catholic Church, 1501 W. 26 ^th Street, Sioux Falls, SD. Mary will be buried next to her husband, Zane, at Riverview Cemetery in Chamberlain, SD on Saturday, November 23, 2019 at 3 pm.