Mary Ann (Leuenberger) Storad

Mary Ann Storad, age 85, passed away peacefully on July 2, 2020. A beloved mother, grandmother, and great grandmother, at her core, Mary Ann was a totally loving, compassionate, and selfless person. She was the “Ultimate Mom” and caregiver.

Mary Ann was born April 23, 1935, on a small farm in Cullman, Alabama, the fourth of John and Cecilia Leuenberger’s five children. She enjoyed telling stories of her early life on the farm. During World War 2, to better support the family, her father left the farm to work in Ohio’s rubber factories. When the war ended, he sold the farm and brought the family north to start a new life in Barberton, Ohio.

For Mary Ann, farm life came to a close in December 1945. She recalled riding north on a train filled with soldiers newly mustered out of their wartime service. In Barberton, at age 10, the week before Christmas, she experienced her first snow. Mary Ann graduated from St. Augustine Catholic School and Portage Junior High. At Barberton High School she was known as “Lewy” by her classmates. It was there that she met Conrad Storad, her high school sweetheart and the love of her life. They both graduated from BHS in 1953. She married Conrad in 1955.

After high school, Mary Ann worked as a secretary to the director of the patent office at Firestone Tire & Rubber Company. Following the birth of her first son in 1957, Mary Ann left her job at Firestone and began her life as the “Ultimate Mom.” The children just kept coming until there were six in all. Mary Ann often said she had planned on having a dozen kids, but it turned out that half-a-dozen was just right for her. Together, Mary Ann and Conrad worked hard and enjoyed many good times while raising a family of five sons and one daughter during more than 62 years of marriage. She was dedicated to helping her family in every way possible.

Mary Ann was a superb homemaker for her family of eight. She was a wonderful gardener with an amazing green thumb. Her red rose trellis and flower gardens were things of beauty. Mary Ann was a master juggler who artfully kept pace with the work, sports, and other extracurricular activity schedules of all her children. She was a skilled accountant and investor, managing the family finances through good times and bad. She was a superb cook. No finicky eaters were allowed in the Storad family. She was also an amazing travel agent who masterfully organized and managed family summer vacations to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. 

It was impossible not to like Mary Ann. Her happy smile and positive attitude toward life were infectious to everyone she met. Mary Ann had an insatiable curiosity and a thirst for learning. She always had questions about nature and the intricacies of the world around us. She loved good music and being with friends and family at large party gatherings for birthdays and holidays.

When her children were grown and starting their own families, Mary Ann became the “Ultimate Nana,” spending more than 20 years as a babysitter for many of her grandchildren. She was always the tender and loving caregiver to her husband, who suffered from a variety of illnesses during the last few decades of his life.

Mary Ann was a lifetime member of St. Augustine’s Catholic Church. She was preceded in death by her husband, father and mother, and brother, John Leuenberger. She is survived by her sons, Conrad Jr. (Laurie), Michael (Mary), James, David (Nancy), and Joseph; daughter Carolyn McCullick (Don), and daughter-in-law Kris. She also leaves behind older sisters Evelyn (McCusker), Edna Mae (McCort), and younger sister Patricia (Hicks). Mary Ann was known as “Nana” to her 12 grandchildren. She will be forever in the hearts of her 10 great grandchildren. Mary Ann was truly loved and will be missed by dozens of nieces and nephews, cousins, and many wonderful friends.

A celebration of Mary Ann’s life-well-lived will take place at a future date when people can once again safely gather in friendship to share stories of her legacy of love, sharing, and kindness. The family sends a special thanks to brother Jim Storad. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he was the only family member allowed to be in the room with our Mom during her final weeks of life. He did a remarkable job of providing comfort. To honor Mary Ann’s memory, in lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the charity or organization of your choice. The Storad family also gives special thanks to the professional care-givers and staff at Pleasant Pointe Assisted Living, Pleasant View Health Care Center, and at Crossroads Hospice. The kind and loving care you provided our mother during her final year and a half will always be appreciated.

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