Mary Ann (Shirley) MacLean, 73, of Mettawa, passed away peacefully Thursday at the Westmoreland Nursing Center in Lake Forest, after a long battle with Alzheimer’s Disease.
She was the devoted wife of Barry MacLean, her husband of 49 years. She is also survived by her children Duncan (Brooke) MacLean, of Lake Forest, Gillian (John) Growdon, of Lake Forest, Adrian (Larsen) Jay, of Knoxville, Tenn.; as well as her children by marriage, Elizabeth Larned, of San Francisco, Calif., Margaret (Ron) MacLean, of New York, and 12 grandchildren. Mary Ann was survived also by her sister Libby Lucas (Jeff) of New Jersey.
Mary Ann was born in Pittsburgh, Pa., the daughter of John and Mary Shirley. She attended university at Penn Hall (Pa.) and in Lausanne, Switzerland. She met her husband, Barry, in Chicago and they were married on October 13, 1967 in Hinsdale. Barry MacLean served as the CEO of MacLean-Fogg Company and was the longtime mayor of Mettawa. Mary Ann shared his desire to serve the community and did that through her lifelong passion for the arts, history and education. As she raised their five children, she volunteered for countless organizations.
She loved outdoor designing and gardening, was an avid traveler and explorer and an enthusiastic, 50-year supporter of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Among the many ways she served were with the Illinois State Museum (Director and Chair), Illinois State Board of Education (Board Member), Union College (N.Y.) (Trustee), Chicago Zoological Society (Trustee), Chicago Botanic Garden (Trustee), The Rassias Center of Dartmouth College (Board Member), the MacLean Center for Medical Ethics at the University of Chicago Medical Center (Board Member).
In 2011, the Illinois State Museum opened the Mary Ann MacLean Play Museum, where children ages 3-to-10 are able to learn and play, as well as the Mary Ann MacLean Resource Center, where classroom space allows for hands-on learning. After serving on the museum board for 32 years, she also provided support to create a teaching position named in her honor, dedicated to innovative educational programming. In 2013, the Brookfield Zoo cut the ribbon on the Mary Ann MacLean Conservation Leadership Center, where the Chicago Zoological Society’s Conservation, Education and Training (CET) Department works from, educating students and zoo guests on important conservation issues.
A celebration of Mary Ann’s life will take place at 3 p.m. Tuesday, August 23 at Church of the Holy Spirit in Lake Forest.
In honor of her love of color and flowers, guests are encouraged to come dressed in a celebratory fashion.
Memorial donations can be made in her name to the Chicago Botanic Garden, Tribute Gift Program, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL 60022.
Wenban Funeral Home