Mary Ann (Sliwinski) Karaian, 83, of Walpole, Massachusetts, passed away peacefully at her home Friday, April 13, 2018 after a long illness.
She was the beloved wife of Richard Karaian, who preceded her, and loving mother of Sarah Karaian of Walpole and Elizabeth (Karaian) Gardner and husband Greg of Freeport, Maine. She was an adoring grandmother “Busia” to her two granddaughters, Ava (age 9) and Maran (age 7) Gardner. “Aunt Mar” also leaves behind many loving nieces and nephews in the Midwest.
Her brothers Valentine Sliwinski and Victor Sliwinski and her sister Lois Hubbell preceded Mary Ann in death. Born in Joliet, Illinois on May 22, 1934, she was the daughter of the late Valentine and Hattie (Wietrzykowski) Sliwinski. Mary Ann grew up in Lemont, Illinois before moving to Boston in the 1960s. She resided in Walpole for the latter half of her life while raising her family.
Mary Ann earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in painting from Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College. Her favorite medium was watercolor and her family cherishes her many still life and landscape paintings. Her favorite occupation was as longtime Senior Display Designer at the famed Marshall Fields department store in Chicago, Illinois, where she had free reign to create.
She enjoyed her family, the beach, traveling, skiing and tennis, gourmet cooking, painting, city life, art museums, and classical music.
Visiting hours will be held at the Ginley Funeral Home, 892 Main Street in Walpole, on Thursday, April 26 from 4 – 6 p.m. with a memorial service immediately following at 6 p.m.
Expressions of sympathy may be made in Mary Ann’s memory to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, c/o Dr. David Steensma, PO Box 849168, Boston, MA 02884 or Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, Office of Advancements, PO Box 70, Saint Mary of the Woods, IN 47876 (https://www.smwc.edu/giving/).