Mary Therese (Donlin) Hafner, 96

December 31, 2020

Mary Therese (Donlin) Hafner, loving matriarch of our family, passed away peacefully in her sleep at the age of 96 in Lititz, Pennsylvania on December 31, 2020. She was born the tenth of thirteen children in Miller, South Dakota on December 25, 1924.

Growing up in Miller during the Great Depression, it was the love, strength, and friendship of her siblings that helped Mary survive the hardship of those times.

In 1950, Mary married her husband, Joseph Hafner, a teacher and coach at Miller High School. After giving birth to their first daughter, Mary and Joe moved to Detroit, Michigan where they established permanent roots and expanded their family by adding two daughters.

Mary was a stay-at-home mother who superbly managed homelife while also serving as her children’s Room Mother, Girl Scout leader, and church volunteer, while also undertaking many other volunteer positions. She faithfully set aside her own needs so that her children would experience the best life had to offer. The many sacrifices Mary made demonstrated her unending love and devotion. If ever there w a parent who wanted a better life for her children, it was Mary.

Her treasured grandchildren and great grandchildren also experienced the same generosity, kindness, support, and deep love, a legacy that undoubtedly will last their lifetimes.

As her children grew older, Mary transitioned into her most beloved professional career, serving as Office Manager in her former son-in-law’s medical practice. For over two decades, she lent her compassion and business skills to the success of Dr. Arturo Prada’s practice.

Mary outlived all of her siblings, husband, and grandson. While her sorrow at each loss ran deep, her Catholic faith sustained her and encouraged her to keep moving forward.

Mary’s selfless, devoted, grateful, optimistic, and passionate manner-along with her relentless sense of humor-will be deeply missed yet will live on in all who loved her.

Preceded in death by her husband, Joseph (1998) and grandson, Michael (2010), Mary is survived by her daughters Barbara Prada Walker (Robert), Lititz, PA, Teri Ann Teutsch (Stan), Omaha, NE, and Mary Jo Finney, Anchorage, AK, along with her beloved grandchildren Erika Teutsch, Elizabeth Prada Da Costa (Victor), Adam Teutsch, Katie Prada, and Jennifer Finney Ax (Rick). Her precious great-grandchildren include Marc Da Costa, Evan Da Costa, and Maggie Teutsch with a fourth great-grandchild on the way.

A Mass of Christian Burial was held at St James Catholic Church Lititz PA on January 5, 2021 with the Rev. James O’Blaney as Celebrandt. Mary will be laid to rest beside her husband Joseph in Van Hoosen Jones Cemetery Rochester MI.

In lieu of flowers, the family is asking for contributions to Mary’s favorite charity, Food for the Poor (https://www.foodforthepoor.org).