Mary Frances Bakic, beloved wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, 77 years young, slipped into the arms of her Savior on Jan. 14, 2017, in Anchorage, Alaska, after a long, courageous battle with brain cancer. Mary was born on Feb. 25, 1939, to Roman and Jean Czarkowski in Shorewood, Wis., where she spent her first 18 years. She married Bob Bakic on Oct. 5, 1957, at Keesler AFB MS. The Air Force sent them to Kaiserslautern, Germany, for three years where their daughter, Debbie, was born. They were then stationed in the Washington D.C. area for two years, where their son, Mike, was born. In December 1962, they received orders for a three-year tour in Anchorage. They drove from D.C. to Anchorage in a Rambler American station wagon with 2-year-old Debbie and 1-year-old Mike. Before Mary even saw Anchorage, she knew Alaska was home. And so it was for 54 years. Son, Nick, was born in 1967, followed by daughter, Joanna, in 1972. Mary was a loving wife and mother who took pride in her family and truly loved being a Mom. She fiercely believed in her Savior, Jesus Christ, and trusted him (and asked her family to trust him) even when life didn't make sense. Her faith wasn't boisterous or worn-on-the-sleeve. It was deep and quiet, full of prayer and understanding. Her faith carried her through five bouts with cancer without any complaining, right up to the end of her final fight. God chose not to heal her this time. He chose to make her perfect. Mary had a generous heart and lived to help others. She continually volunteered at various organizations because she always wanted to "give back." She was a Lector, Eucharistic Minister, pianist and organist in the Catholic community from 1967 to 2011. She was a published author, always reading, always curious, who never stopped striving to learn. She loved animals and had several horses, dogs, cats and various other small animals and fish. She loved the water. Whether she was swimming, scuba diving or boating, she was at home. Her hobbies throughout the years included gardening, soapstone carving, lamp work beading, knitting, reading and writing poetry, dog and horse training, dressage riding, cross-country skiing, scuba diving, kayaking, canoeing, sweep rowing, working out and spending as much time as possible at their remote cabin. Mary was under the care of Providence Hospice her last six months. The family thanks them for the excellent care they gave her, their kindness and compassion. Mary is survived by her husband of 59 years, Bob Bakic; daughters, Debbie (Mark) Passmore and Joanna (Zeb) Winzenried; sons, Mike (Kim) Bakic and Nick (Maria) Bakic; grandchildren, Roman (Erin) Bakic, Seth Bakic, Maeve Bakic, Katherine Saddler and Temperance Winzenried; great-grandchildren, Iris Bakic and Daemon Saddler; brother, Jerry (Greta) Czarkowski; sister-in-law, Judy (David) Bridges; and many relatives and friends. Honoring Mary's wishes there will be a private, family-only Mass. Memorial donations can be made to 4 Paws for Ability/Alaska, 253 Dayton Ave. Xenia, OH 45385. We love her and miss her far more than words can describe. "God Saw You Were Getting Tired" -Frances and Kathleen Coelho - "God saw you were getting tired And a cure was not to be So he put his arms around you And whispered 'Come to Me' With tearful eyes we watched you As you slowly slipped away And although we loved you dearly We couldn't make you stay. Your golden heart stopped beating Your tired hands put to rest God broke our hearts to prove to us He only takes the best."

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Mary Bakic Obituary | Cremation Society of Alaska