--+Mary Lee Lang passed away November 15, 2010, in Richland, Washington. She was born in 1920 in Carlisle, Ohio, to Laurel and Mary Kesler. Mary and her sisters, Kay and Maxine, were very poor during the Depression and moved with her parents to Florida where her father had inherited land. Mary enjoyed working at her father's side in their garden there. The family eventually moved back to Ohio, where Mary graduated from Christ Hospital School of Nursing in Cincinnati. Mary joined the Armed Forces during WWII, received basic training at Wright Patterson Field, and tended to our armed forces in various army hospital installations. During her time in the service, Mary was fond of raising, training, and riding horses, and she was especially fond of a thoroughbred she raised as a colt.

After retiring as a Captain from the services, Mary married Linton W. Lang in 1950 and settled in Richland, WA, where she worked in the original Kadlec Hospital until her children were born. She spent many years as a loving mother and role model for her children, then she later returned to nursing at both Kadlec Medical Center and Our Lady of Lourdes. At Lourdes, she was asked to start their first Intravenous department.

Mary was fond of animals and had a large number of pets, including two pet monkeys. She generously donated to almost any animal rights and humane society that asked. Mary will always be remembered for her generosity to animal rights organizations, as well as her devotion to family, which included caring for her husband during a 15-year battle with multiple sclerosis.

In 2001 Mary moved to Horn Rapids where she lived on a pond, enjoyed feeding the ducks, and was recently cared for by her friend and companion, Midge Harrison.

Mary is survived by her sons, Lawrence L. Lang and Bruce R. Lang; her daughter Linda M. Connell; her step-children John P. Lang and Leslie A. Dalton; her grandsons Sean Lang and Jesse Lang; her step-grandchildren Chris, Kippy, and Cory Dalton and Kyle and Carly Connell; and her great grandchild Taylor Dalton. She was preceded in death by her parents, Laurel and Mary Kesler; her husband Linton W. Lang; and her sisters Kay Enyeart and Maxine Robinson.

A memorial service will be held at Einan's Event Center at 10:00 Tuesday November 30, which would have been Mary's 90th birthday. In lieu of flowers, please make a contribution in Mary's name to the Benton Franklin Humane Society or the local Pet Overpopulation Prevention organization.