Mary H. (Noble) Fick, 88
Mary H. (Noble) Fick, age 88 of Stevens Point, passed away Sunday October 5, 2014 at the Portage County Health Care Center, where she had been residing the past two weeks.
A Celebration of Life Service will take place at a later date. Memorials will be established in her name for the local artist community.
Mary was born July 13, 1926 in Stevens Point, the daughter of Harrison and Helen (Jones) Noble. She graduated from P.J. Jacobs High School in 1945, and earned her first bachelors degree from UWSP. Mary married Eugene “Gene” Fick August 20, 1949 at the Methodist Church. She taught home economics in Rosendale, WI before the couple began managing the Noble Hatchery in Stevens Point.
When her son, George “Georgie,” was born in 1956 and was diagnosed with Down’s syndrome and given one year to live, the family focus changed. She began painting in 1956 and painted at least one picture everyday for 2 years.
The Fick’s was instrumental in creating the Sheltered Workshop, and helped to develop a local pre-school for handicapped children. In 1966 she earned her 2nd degree from UWSP, in speech pathology, she then became a well known artist, humorist lecturer. Mary began working for the Stevens Point School District where she taught parents of handicapped children how to ready their children for school.
In 1976 she was the winner of the Wisconsin Federation of Women’s Clubs Woman of the Year award, and in 1977 was named the UWSP Distinguished Alumnus Award. For 20 years Mary and Gene volunteered as campground hosts for the National Forest in the Snowy Range near Centennial, WY, that provided a summer and fall locale for hunting and fishing. They also had a “snowbird haunt” in Oldsmar, Fla., where they spent winters.
Survivors include; two daughters, Terrie (Randel) Groshek, Custer and Mary J. Monteith, Laramie, WY; one son, George, Stevens Point; and two grandchildren, Allison (Ahren) Schaefer, Rockville, MD and Steven Groshek, Custer. One great grandson Kaden Schaefer. One sister Pauline Schenk, Wichita, KS. She was preceded in death by her parents and her husband Gene this past March.
Online condolences may be sent by visiting www.shudafuneral.com