Mrs. Maryanne Kresse

June 26, 1947 - January 27, 2020

Maryanne Kresse passed away peacefully on January 27, 2020, surrounded by her family at home. She was 72 years old. Maryanne had bravely fought and beaten breast cancer five years ago, only to have it return and take her far too quickly. Maryanne was the first-born of six children to James and Ethel (Shaw) O’Shaughnessy and grew up in Westfield, N.J. She graduated from Marquette University and attended graduate school in language at New York University. She taught English for many years to her Japanese students and was a licensed real estate broker in Greenwich, CT before retiring, with her husband Fred, to their home on Lake Keowee in Seneca, SC The career she loved most, though, was that of a devoted wife of 45 years to Fred, mother to her two sons Philip and Michael, and grandmother “Mimi” to their children. Maryanne was beautiful and energetic, a hilarious mimic and with a keen intellect that meant that no conversation with her was ever dull. She possessed a sharp comic wit, but her love for all in her family was genuine and warm. To her friends, siblings and family, she was the “go to” resource, savvy and informed on all matters from finance to child rearing, medicine, travel and great home cooking. “M.A.” had an artist’s eye and developed into an accomplished oil painter, capturing scenes from her homes in Connecticut and her beloved lake community in South Carolina. She loved a good fast walk, a game of tennis, a great book and a competitive game of bridge. A devout Catholic, Maryanne was an active member of St. Andrew’s Catholic Church, recently founding the Healing Payer Ministry there that helped many parishioners through their personal challenges with the support of a loving and prayerful community. Maryanne is survived by her loving husband Fredrick Kresse of Seneca, SC, and her sons Philip (Jennifer) Kresse and their daughters Alyssa, Kathryn and Stella of Belmont, MA, and Michael (Jessica) Kresse and their son Damon and daughter Eva of Irvine, CA. In addition, she is survived by her siblings Kathleen (George) Klitsch of Stamford, CT; Elizabeth (Jerry) McTigue of New York, NY; James (Andrea) O’Shaughnessy of Medfield, MA; Eileen (Patrick) Grasso of Old Greenwich, CT and Margaret O’Shaughnessy of Santa Rosa, CA, as well as many nieces, nephews and cousins. A mass will be held in her memory on February 29, 2020 at 11:00 at Saint Andrew Catholic Church in Clemson, SC. Burial is private. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to American Cancer Society AstraZeneca Hope Lodge Center, Boston, MA: http://www.cancer.org/treatment/support-programs-and-services/patient-lodging/hope-lodge/boston/support-us.html