Mary K. Pease *
ELIDA — Mary Kaye Pease, age 91, passed away Tuesday, February 16, 2021, at 1:38 p.m. at her residence, surrounded by her daughters and her grandson, Nicholas.
Mary Kaye was born February 21, 1929 in Zanesville, OH to Benjamin Joseph Redmond and Kathryn Palma (Shockey) Redmond, who preceded her in death. On June 23, 1951 she married Rev. Robert (Bob) Howard Pease, who preceded her in death on February 3, 2009.
Surviving are their children: Kathy (Larry) Koverman of Cridersville, Debby (Jason) Stanley of Lima, Colleen (John) Schleh of Lima, and Rob (Robin) Pease of Eustis, FL; Grandchildren: Lisette (Steve) Wiggins, Jared (Elise) Koverman, Nathaniel (Amanda) Koverman, Chad Schleh, Graham Stanley, Nicholas Stanley, Nicole Pedro, Kaytlyn Stanley, Brianna (David) Saunders, Brittany Pease, Beau Pease and Brenden Pease; Great-Grandchildren: Titus, Tate, Thad and Jaden Wiggins; Corbin, Ethan, Ava and Dylan Koverman; Carson, Kayla and Kinsley Koverman; Cosmos Bell; Wisdom and Axandrea Pedro.
She is also preceded in death by two grandchildren: Janice Marie and Michael Jason Stanley, and her siblings, Palma Kathryn and Joseph Benjamin Redmond.
At the age of three, Mary Kaye accepted Christ. She was a gifted musician from a very young age, playing in churches and for a radio ministry. After graduating Lash High School in Zanesville, she worked at Redmond’s Gospel Gift Shop in Lima before attending Bob Jones University. Pursuing her passion for missions, Mary Kaye continued her education at Nyack College (formerly the Missionary Training Institute) from 1947-1950, where she taught voice, piano, theory and marimba and met her husband, Bob. She also received a music scholarship to Juilliard.
Following their marriage, she and her husband served at the Little Church of Sherman Oaks (Woodland Hills Neighborhood Church) as associate pastor/youth director and music director, while working bi-vocationally at Sears. Together they served at the Alliance Church in Bakersfield, CA. As a music professor at Toccoa Falls College in Toccoa, GA, Mary Kaye taught voice and theory to college students, including Christian artist Aaron Shust along with private piano lessons to over 60 students from the community. She served as pianist and music director in Alliance, Baptist, Lutheran and Methodist churches, including St. Paul’s Methodist Church in Elida and is a member of the Cable Road Alliance Church.
As missionaries assigned to Mali, West Africa, they went first to the University of Geneva, Switzerland Foreign School of Languages to study French then to Alliance Francaise and Sorbonne in France. Mary Kaye and her husband served for 55 years with the Christian and Missionary Alliance, 34 of those years were overseas where she spoke three foreign languages fluently; French, Bambara and Mianka. She was a teacher, a linguist and translator including instructing government music teachers in Mali, West Africa. She co-edited a national music hymnal in Bambara and in the Mianka languages (two books 1958-1981) and translated the Gospels of Mark and John, Hebrews and portions of Psalms and Exodus in the Mianka language. She also ran a back door dispensary and taught reading to the women and children in West Africa. For many years, she was an Avon President’s Club member and used proceeds to support missions. Bob and Mary Kaye served stateside with the Alliance headquarters where she served as an editorial assistant for the denominational Alliance Life magazine.
In 1981, she survived an auto accident on the mission field and as a result became involved in disabilities ministries. The passion to influence the lives of those affected by disabilities and her desire to invest in an effective way to impact people with special needs became a special focus of her life. In the village where the accident occurred, a door was opened to the Gospel.
Services will be held at 11:00 a.m., Monday, Feb. 22, 2021 at Cable Road Alliance Church, with Rev. Richard Jueckstock & Elder Jim Lotz officiating the service. Burial will be in Shawnee Cemetery following the service. Visitation will be on Sunday from 2-5 p.m. at the Shawnee Chapel of Chiles-Laman Funeral and Cremation Services and again from 10:00 a.m. until the service begins at 11:00 at the church.
Memorial contributions may be made to Disability Ministries (https://www.zanesvillecma.org/disability) or Koutiala Women and Children’s Hospital (http://www.shelbyalliance.org/mali-project.html).
Condolences may be expressed to the family at www.chiles-lamanfh.com.
Published in The Lima News from Feb. 19 to Feb. 20, 2021.