Mary passed away on August 7, 2023, at her home in Vacaville with family and friends by her side. She had been diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease) in the Fall of 2022. Mary fought a courageous battle with this relentless disease. Although she eventually lost the use of all appendages and her voice, it was her desire to continue communicating with her loved ones that led her to master communication through blinking. Mary was a very strong and fiercely independent woman, who was sharp as a tack until her body failed her.
She was born in 1955, to Carl and Elizabeth (Betty) Nourot and was one of 7 children. Mary was the proud granddaughter of Art Healy, a navy diver who rescued numerous seamen from the sunken ships during the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Mary was born at Travis Air Force Base to a military family and she moved around Northern California, including the Travis Air Force Base, Davis, Fairfield, Sacramento, and finally settling in Vacaville where she settled down with the love of her life, Pete.
After gaining a Masters in Nursing and Bachelors of Science from Sonoma State, she worked her entire life as an advocate for others. Mary was a nurse who made lifelong friends with many of her Sutter coworkers. She never felt like she worked a day in her life because she was doing what she loved. Mary’s life was full of traveling, hobbies and socializing. She was an avid Oakland A’s fan, hiker, birder, equestrian, lover of tortoises and enjoyed spending time with her nieces and nephews.
Mary is survived by her loving and hilarious husband Peter Orr, their tortoises Morticia and Rosie, and cat, Mr Stripes; her siblings Patrick (Pam), David, Barbara Early(Charlie), Dee Auld(Rick), Mathew (Julie) and numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, her brother Micheal Nourot, her niece, Joelee and nephew, Keith.
She was loved, cherished and respected by her family, friends and patients. Her loss will be deeply felt. She will be remembered for her infectious smile, her amazing laugh, her kindness and her generosity.
On Friday October 20th, 2023, a memorial service will be held at McCune’s Chapel in Vacaville, directly followed by a celebration of her life, at the Saturday Club also in Vacaville. In lieu of flowers, Mary asked that donations be made to The Mary Nourot Nursing Scholarship Fund at Sonoma State to help train more nurses or take a moment to count your
