Obituary of Mary Lou Wilson

Mary Lou Smith Wilson, age 70, of Lee Center, passed away peacefully on June 1, 2016 at Rome Memorial Hospital. Mary Lou was born on November 1, 1945 in Annsville, NY; the daughter of the late George and Nellie Mae Ward Smith. She graduated from RFA and attended Manpower Nurses training, graduating as an LPN. She started her 50 year Nursing career at Rome Memorial Hospital soon after graduation. Mary Lou had a passion for ER Nursing and spent 35 years as an ER nurse. She became well known in the community for her knowledge and expertise in the field. It has been said that she always had a full supply of emergency items in the trunk of her car "just in case." She retired after 35 years in the ER, but greatly missed her RMH family and returned to work fulltime as the Employee Health Nurse where she served 15 additional years. She was as expert at painless flu shots and probably gave one to most of the city of Rome over the years. She officially celebrated her 50th year at Rome Memorial Hospital in June, 2015 and continued to work until November. During her time as Employee Health Nurse, she saw that many of the staff and their families were struggling to make ends meet and established the "Angel Fund," which started mainly from her own donations. She stocked and organized a food pantry and distributed the goods to less fortunate employees on a weekly basis. She also organized Christmas giving, Thanksgiving Food boxes, gift cards, and school supplies. You could often find her shopping at local stores with heaping shopping carts to restock her hospital pantry. The Angel Fund still exists at RMH, funded by donations from employees and Physicians. Mary Lou is survived by five sisters, Patricia and Steve Burk, Janette and Butch Stewart, Joan Senior, June Senior and Debbie and Bill Shanley; two brothers, John and Shirley Smith, and Raymond and Sydell Smith; and many special nieces and nephews, along with her canine family: Bailey, Skippy and Brandy, and feline buddy, John-John. A special thank you to Janette and April Stewart for the many days and months spent caring for Mary Lou at her bedside and to all RMH employees for their caring hearts. Funeral services will be held on Saturday at 1 PM at the Barry Funeral Home, 807 W. Chestnut Street. Burial will be in Evergreen Cemetery. Relatives and friends may call at the funeral home on Friday from 4 to 7 PM. Please offer online condolences at: www.BarryFuneralHome.com.