Mary Ann Hester, 67, of Mechanicsville, MD and formerly of District Heights, MD, passed away on July 6, 2013 at Hospice House of St. Mary's in Callaway, MD.

She was born on Feb. 26, 1946 in Patterson, NJ, daughter of the late Joseph Scialpi Sr. and the late Mildred (Wills) Scialpi.

She was a 1964 graduate of Hawthorne High School in New Jersey, where she was a varsity cheerleader.

She married William A. Hester, Jr., on July 30, 1966. They would have celebrated their 47th wedding anniversary this month.

Mary loved children and enjoyed working as a paraprofessional at Carver Elementary School in St. Mary's County and as a substitute teacher in the St. Mary's County Public School system. She sold AVON for more than 20 years, achieving several milestones as a representative. She also previously worked at McKays as a cashier.

She was a fan of country western music and the Redskins. Her favorite groups were the Oak Ridge Boys and Alabama. She loved old black-and-white movies, musicals and dinner theaters, often accompanying her husband to performances. She loved cruises, casinos, camping and fishing. She loved traveling and lived in England for two years with her husband and often traveled to Canada to visit family. She was an avid animal lover and reader of mystery novels. Her favorite color was red, and she decorated her log cabin in red, white and blue.

She was also a member of the Immaculate Conception Church.

In addition to her parents, Mary was predeceased by her brother, Richard Scialpi.

Mary is survived by her husband, William; three children, Wendy (Mike) DuLaney, William A. Hester, III and Amanda (Mike) Neumann; 8 grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and one brother, Joseph Scialpi, Jr.

Family and friends will be received for Mary's Life Celebration on Tuesday, July 16, 2013 from 8:30am to 9:30am at the Brinsfield-Echols Funeral Home, 30195 Three Notch Road, Charlotte Hall, MD 20622. There will be a second viewing at the Immaculate Conception Church, 28297 Old Village Road, Mechanicsville, MD 20659, from 10am to 11am followed by a Catholic mass from 11am to noon. Interment will follow at 1pm at the Maryland Veterans Cemetery, 11301 Crain Highway, Cheltenham, MD 20623.

Memorial contributions may be made in Mary's name to the Alzheimer's Association, P.O. Box 96011, Washington, DC 20090-6011.

Arrangements provided by Brinsfield-Echols Funeral Home.