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Marie Louise Mosbacher

Marie Louise Mosbacher
Provided Photo
Marie Louise

Mosbacher

October 16, 1928 – March 27, 2021

On March 27, 2021, Marie Louise “Mary Lou” Mosbacher passed away peacefully at the age of 92.

Mary Lou is survived by her four children, Cathy (Greg), Bub (Tina), Larry (Julie) and Gretchen (Jeff, deceased), as well as seven grandchildren and fourteen great grandchildren.

Born on October 16, 1928 in Los Angeles, to parents Edward F. and Lucy A. Menke, Mary Lou attended St. Mary’s Academy and Mount Saint Mary’s College. She likely couldn’t have imagined something she enjoyed as much as learning until a chance blind date introduced her to Bernard “Barney” Mosbacher. Mary Lou married Barney on July 26,1947 and they enjoyed a 56 year marriage.

Despite being native to Los Angeles, Mary Lou would have always told you that South Lake Tahoe was her home. She and Barney came to Tahoe in 1964, with four children and hopes to build a life within the community. Over decades in South Lake Tahoe, Mary Lou built much more than just a life, she built a legacy.

Mary Lou participated in too many community organizations to count, and she had a lifetime of experiences and accolades to prove it. She was a member of St. Theresa’s Catholic Church and served as a substitute teacher for their parochial school. She was a member of the Lake Tahoe Historical Society, Lake Tahoe Snowmobile Association, Lake Tahoe Spinners and Weavers (fiber arts), Lake Tahoe Red Hats, “14,000 Planners” Community Planning Forum, City of South Lake Tahoe Recreation Commission, El Dorado County Recreation Board, El Dorado County Mental Health Advisory Board, Area 3 Developmental Disabilities Board (as appointed by Governor Ronald Reagan), and the “Awakening Peace” Youth Drug Counseling & Drop-In Center board.

Her greatest community contribution to South Lake Tahoe came in the form of her 21 years of service to the South Tahoe Public Utility District. A remembrance posted by the District recognized Mary Lou as the “Grandmother of the District” and praised her as a “devoted advocate for safe, clean drinking water and reliable wastewater services.” Over her tenure as a STPUD board member, Mary Lou advocated for legislation supporting the use of recycled water to protect communities in the event of fire, testing and litigation surrounding MTBE contamination of groundwater and infrastructure projects that supported responsible water treatment and recycling. “Mary Lou conveyed a great love for the community and our children, the district and all of her family and farm animals” said John Thiel, General Manager for STPUD.

Mary Lou’s love for her community certainly extended to her passion for educating children. Mary Lou and Barney’s hobby farm in Christmas Valley, Bar-Mar Farms, welcomed thousands of young children from Lake Tahoe area schools to learn about and experience all kinds of farm animals.

To her family, Mary Lou was at once a proud matriarch and witty conspirator. She loved nothing more than presiding over holidays in a house filled with family and was rarely seen without at least one grandchild in tow. She was a stickler for things like table manners, answering the phone properly and practicing cursive, but was also quick to turn a blind eye and give a conspirative smirk when her grandchildren were up to mischief.

A mother, advocate and South Lake Tahoe treasure, Mary Lou will be missed dearly. Her family will no doubt carry on her memory through the values she instilled – family dinners, service to community and a healthy dose of mischief.

A memorial Mass for Mary Lou will take place on JUN 25, 2021 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM (PDT) at St. Theresa Catholic Church, South Lake Tahoe, CA


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