Mary Alice Daly

Mary passed peacefully after a long and courageous battle with Parkinson’s disease. She is survived by children, Maureen (Ryan) Wenger, Carol (Steve) Lim and Michael Daly; 6 grandchildren; brother, Bud (Judy) Kilnoski; sister-in-law, Evelyn Kilnoski; many nieces and nephews. Preceded in death by parents, Oscar and Mary Kilnoski and brother, John Kilnoski.

Mary Alice Daly was a woman full of resilience or stubbornness, depending on your perspective, and compassion for others. She bravely faced a life of challenges as a single working mother with autoimmune health issues and then she battled with Parkinson’s disease. As the illness slowly took her mobility and independence away, it did not diminish her spirit, her sense of humor, or the love she had for her family and friends.

Mary Alice spent her life serving others. She worked as a social worker placing children into safe living environments and as a coordinator for the hospice of the VNA. She volunteered for the CASA program, served as the president of the parish serra club, and made 3 trips to care for infants in a Romania orphanage. She became the hands and feet of Jesus for so many in need through these work and volunteer encounters.

She loved her three children and six grandsons deeply; she always thoughtfully planned fun and engaging activities when the family was all together. Her other passions included planting flowers in the spring, traveling, and, of course, Notre Dame football and Creighton basketball.

She was an inspiration to everyone who had the privilege of getting to know her. She was not defined by her Parkinson’s—even when she was confined to a wheelchair, she did not give up her desire to maintain her independence or her dream to stand upright and walk again. We are grateful to her caregivers who allowed her to live in the comfort of her own home until the end.

Our hearts are breaking today, but we celebrate a life well-lived, a love well-given, and a legacy that will endure. Mary Alice may have physically left this world, but her compassionate spirit lives on through the many lives that she touched.

Mass of Christian Burial Wednesday, February 5, 2025 at 10:30am at St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church, 6116 Dodge St. Visitation Tuesday beginning at 6pm with Wake Service at 7pm at John A. Gentleman Mortuaries 72nd Street Chapel. Interment: St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery in Council Bluffs, IA.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to Duchesne Academy of the Sacred Heart or the Parkinson's Foundation.