MARY LOU GNOZA 11/9/1941-03/16/2026

Mary Louise DeMeyer was born in Superior, Wisconsin, to Hank and Betty DeMeyer. She was born the second of five siblings and is preceded in death by both brothers and a sister, as well as her parents and two sons.

After graduating from Columbia High School in 1959, she attended The School of Theatre in Arizona for a short time while working for General Electric, where she studied drama and voice. She married Emiel Gnoza on January 5, 1963, and they quickly welcomed their family of three children: Anne (Gnoza) Vorheis; Phillip Gnoza (deceased 1972); and Thomas Gnoza (deceased 2015).

Her dedication to her family was unwavering. She was a devoted stay‑at‑home mom and took especially good care of her terminally ill son, Phillip. After his passing, she worked for the Muscular Dystrophy Association and was very involved at the local level with the Jerry Lewis Telethons for several years. She later worked at Eagle Printing for many years. Mary Lou was a voracious reader and crossword friend.

She was a naturally gifted performer, and her love of theatrics was never more apparent than when she was on stage. Whether with or without a microphone, the stage is where she shined brightest. She performed and recorded songs from the Great American Songbook with her various bands. She sang and acted practically everywhere and often; her illustrious career began at a small lounge/restaurant in Pasco called The Scimitar. Her sultry alto voice was heard in too many venues and on too many occasions to list. Singing with her son Tom at the Richland Farmers Market was a true delight for her.

The long‑running gig, The Stevie and Mary Lou Show (with legendary accompanist and dear friend Steve Haberman), was a crowd favorite at the live‑music Thai restaurant Emerald of Siam in Richland, owned by long‑time friend Dara Quinn, for nearly 30 years.

She enjoyed years of creating costumes and extravagant hats for numerous plays alongside many friends in her basement. Her love for sewing morphed into a side‑hustle business she aptly named Sew Fabulous, doing mainly alterations and beautiful beading on wedding and pageant gowns—how she loved sparkle!

Her family will treasure long‑ago memories created around the piano at Christmas, when she sang beautiful harmonies with her sister Judy, while her mom, dad, and brother‑in‑law Joe accompanied them.

She loved her grandsons and great‑grandchildren, Taylor (Rochelle) Vorheis; Phillip (Shelby) Vorheis; Spencer Vorheis (Yvette Rios); and Gabriel (Shyler) Vorheis.

Her family is forever grateful to her very close friend Margaret Dunn for her selfless dedication to helping Mary Lou during the last few years of her life. We will miss her boisterous laugh, her wit, her famous mandarin orange bars, and Gold’n Nut Crunch snack mix she always made at Christmastime.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made, in honor of her son Phillip Gnoza, to the Seattle Children’s Hospital Foundation. Please join the family for a Celebration of Life gathering on Saturday, April 4, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. at Events at Sunset Gardens, Richland, Washington.