Mary Katherine (Gracey) Stroup of Ft. Wright, KY, born October 16, 1938, in Wellsburg West Virginia to Robert S. Gracey and Mary O. (Barnett) Gracey, went to be with her Lord on January 3, 2023. She was 84 years old. Mary K. was preceded in death by her husband, Charles R. Stroup and her daughter Carolyn K. (Stroup) Paarup (Michael). She is survived by her brother Robert S. Gracey (Patricia), son, Charles S. Stroup (Paula), daughter, Christina L. (Stroup) Ransom (Randy), and grandchildren Charles Stroup (Tara), Rebekah (Stroup) Guillow (Benjamin), Benjamin Stroup (Whitney), Jennifer (Stroup) Nichols (Jonathan), Erica (Ingerson) Fox (Adam), Sean Ingerson (Kristina), Christian Paarup (Victoria), Natalie Paarup, Todd Ransom (Samantha), Renae Ransom, Joshua Ransom, Scarlett Ransom, and 17 great-grandchildren, many cousins, nieces and nephews. No funeral service will be held but a virtual gathering is planned for later this month. Mary K. is a breast cancer survivor so any memorials may be made to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation (www.komen.org).
Grandson, Christian Paarup, offered the following expression of his love and for the family.
“I am grateful and humbled to have been at the bedside of my wonderful maternal grandmother, Mary K Gracey Stroup, this morning as she transitioned from this life into the next. She gracefully succumbed to a stroke at the age of 84. As long as I’ve known her, she was an amazingly selfless woman who gave long-term shelter to strangers in need in her own home (!!), doted on her beloved animals, and loved and accepted her family unconditionally. She cooked the grandest meals and created the most lavish Christmas get-togethers. She was one of my biggest supporters and so easy to have a conversation with. She saw the best in people, even those—ESPECIALLY those who others no longer trusted or believed in. She could be taken advantage of due to her nearly blind faith in people. She wanted the best for everyone, for humanity, for animals and creatures, and she demonstrated that in her words and actions. She was the Scrabble Queen, and she was a smart ass. I was fortunate to learn much from her… especially as an impressionable kid. We lived close to her for a number of years, and I spent plenty of time watching and helping her bake, cook, play board games, and just enjoy her knowledge and laid-back vibe. If there is an afterlife, it is nice knowing she has been reunited with my mom who died in 2010 at the young age of 51. Moving forward I will reflect on how I might be able to embody more of the Mary K way and contribute positively to the lives of others around me. I love you, Gma.”
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