Mary Lou Kreiss Obituary

Mary Lou Kreiss passed away peacefully on April 2, 2025, in Nashville, Tennessee, with her beloved children by her side.

Mary Lou was born in Lewistown, Montana, on September 10, 1941, and grew up in Bellingham, Washington, spending summers on Lummi Island. She graduated from Bellingham High School in 1959 and from Western Washington College in 1963 magna cum laude.

In 1962, Mary Lou married Duane Fresia, and their son Brad was born later that year followed by their daughter Michelle in 1966.

Mary Lou began her teaching career with the Shoreline School District in Seattle, Washington, focusing on vocational education and working with a diverse student body, including many immigrant families. Mary Lou loved teaching and took great pride in seeing her students succeed and in the teamwork of the teaching staff. By all accounts, she was a great teacher and remained a teacher throughout her life.

In 1985, Mary Lou earned her master’s degree in educational counseling from Seattle University and transitioned from teaching to school counseling.

In 1980, Mary Lou married Jim Kreiss, also a Shoreline educator. After retiring, they built their dream house in Sunriver, Oregon in 1995, where they enjoyed many years of skiing, kayaking, hiking, mountain biking, golfing, travel, and community service - tutoring and reading to students at their local elementary school. Sunriver was the setting for many wonderful family vacations, and it was where she taught her granddaughters to ski.

In 2011, Mary Lou and Jim moved to Nashville to be closer to Michelle and her family. They became active members of Westminster Presbyterian Church, with Mary Lou regularly participating in adult education and teaching skills to immigrants in the Joy in Learning program.

In Nashville, Mary Lou continued her active outdoor life and was a daily hiker with her dog Lucy, rain or shine, at her neighborhood park, Radnor Lake.

Mary Lou is survived by her two children, Michelle Chang (Sam) and Brad Fresia (Allister); three granddaughters, Grace (Luke), Rachel, and Julia; her brother Paul Johansen (Mary Jo), and nephew Steve Johansen (Cindy). Mary Lou was predeceased by her first husband, Duane Fresia, her second husband, James Kreiss, and her niece Kim Johansen.

The family would like to thank the amazing teams at Westminster Presbyterian, Abe’s Garden and Alive Hospice, and her good friend Bob Williams, who took such great care of her in these last years.

Visitation will be held on Saturday, May 10, 2025, at noon in the Parlor of Westminster Presbyterian Church. A Service of Witness to the Resurrection will follow in the Sanctuary at 1:00 p.m.

Memorial contributions may be made to Westminster Presbyterian's Joy in Learning Program, Alive Hospice, Abe's Garden Community, or Friends of Radnor Lake.