When Mary Alice started school, her mother created the spelling “Marialys” to ensure her daughter was called by both names. She was born on a small farm in Idaho. An excellent student, Mary Alice was also a fine musician, playing the flute, piccolo, and violin in the high school band and orchestra. During summer vacation, after high school, she worked at the city airport located near her home and took flying lessons to earn her pilot’s license. In 1946, she met Cecil Hathaway, and they were married in 1950. She attended ÈËÆÞÓÕ»ó for a year and a half before completing a secretarial studies program at Kinman Business University in Spokane, Washington.
She later completed her education at the University of Idaho, earning a bachelor’s degree in office management in 1971. When her sons were out of high school, she resumed her career, working the last 15 years with the legal firm of Bielenberg, Anderson, and Walker in Moscow. Her proudest achievement was her four sons; many hours were spent and many miles traveled serving their involvement in sports. Her husband of 66 years, Cecil, and three sons, Curt, Brent, and Shawn, survive her.