Mary Elizabeth Conley (née Condon), age 97, was received into the arms of our Lord on June 2, 2026, following a long, glorious and faith-filled life shaped by immense sorrow and immeasurable joy.

Mary was born April 14, 1929, in Spokane, Washington, to Bridget Patricia (Donahoe) of Omaha, Nebraska, and Dr. James Richard Condon of Spokane. She was the third of eight children and a descendant of one of Spokane’s early pioneering Catholic families.

Mary’s Condon grandparents migrated west from Ireland and Minnesota and followed the Jesuit missionaries to Spokane in search of a Catholic education for their children. All six of those children graduated from Gonzaga College: two priests, Rev. John Condon and the Most Rev. William Condon, were the first and second priests of the Diocese of Spokane; two religious sisters, Sr. Patricia and Sr. Hedwig of the Order of St. Benedict, earned degrees in education from Gonzaga long before women were formally enrolled; and two physicians, Dr. Edward Condon and, finally, Dr. James Condon, Mary’s father, who delivered Gonzaga’s valedictory address in 1918 before attending Creighton Medical School in Omaha where he met her mother, Bridget.

Mary enjoyed a charmed childhood in Spokane. She was baptized by her uncle William, then rector of Our Lady of Lourdes Cathedral, raised in the white house on the hill overlooking Lincoln Park near Perry Street, and spent summers at the family retreat, Glencairn, on Hayden Lake. She attended St. Anne’s Parish School and Marycliff High School and worked as a soda jerk at the Altamont Pharmacy soda fountain. She was surrounded by the devotion of her parents, siblings, aunts, and uncles, as well as family friendships fostered through Gonzaga athletics, religious orders, and Sacred Heart physicians.

In 1945, at the age of 16, Mary endured the sudden and tragic death of her father. Mary and her young siblings were carried through grief by the strength of their mother and the support of their beloved Condon and Donahoe aunts and uncles.

In 1947, Mary met the love of her life, John Richard Conley, at a Catholic Sodality youth function. She briefly left Spokane to attend pharmacy school at Creighton University, but the charm of that Irish boy from New York City drew her home. They were married on March 19, 1949, on the Feast of St. Joseph, and shared 68 years of marriage before John’s passing in 2017. Together they built Spokane’s iconic White Elephant Surplus Stores and made their home along the Little Spokane River in Colbert. There they raised 11 children, each attending St. Aloysius and Gonzaga Preparatory over the course of 34 years, and were blessed with daughters- and sons-in-law, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren in overflowing abundance.

After John’s passing, Mary moved to Rockwood Lane Retirement Community, where she enjoyed a life surrounded by dear friends, the Sacred Heart parish community, and the steady presence of family, whom she continued to support through both triumph and tragedy. In her last three months, she resided at Legacy Court before she willingly reunited with loved ones awaiting her in Christ.

Mary possessed a unique grace that was a powerful force and steady foundation upon which so much was built. Quiet in manner but immense in influence, her life was rooted in unwavering Catholic faith, a deep commitment to education, and a steadfast devotion to family. She met each season of life with dignity, humility, and trust in God. Her legacy lives on in the family she nurtured, the values she instilled, and the countless lives strengthened by her example. And for Gonzaga’s faithful, it is comforting to know that the Zags now have another powerful intercessor rooting for that long-awaited championship.

Mary was the last surviving member of her generation, preceded in death by her beloved husband, John; her siblings Patrick, James, John, Kathleen Green, Bridget Brockmeyer, Michell Wingard, and William, and their spouses; infant grandson Robert John Deibert; granddaughter Mary Clare “Molly” Conley; son John R. Conley Jr.; and son-in-law Brian O’Rourk.

She is survived by her children Richard (Mary), Edward (Jennifer), William, Patrick (Amy), Robert (Tracy), Mary Beth Mealey, Timothy (Laurie), Jeanne (Steve Deibert), Maureen (Mike Smith), and Therese (the late Brian O’Rourk); 46 grandchildren; 72 great-grandchildren; and numerous cherished nieces, nephews, and treasured friends.

Recitation of the Rosary | Saturday, June 20, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. St. Aloysius Catholic Church: 330 E. Boone Ave, Spokane, WA 99202

Wake | to follow at the O'Rourk home: 525 W 23rd AVE, Spokane, WA 99203

Mass of Christian Burial | Sunday, June 21, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes: 1115 W. Riverside Ave, Spokane, WA 99201

Reception | to follow at the Historic Davenport Hotel | Grand Pennington 10 S Post St, Spokane, WA 99201

Interment | Monday, June 22, 2026, at 10:30 a.m. Holy Cross Cemetery: 7200 N Wall St, Spokane, WA 99208

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the following:

Mary E. Condon Conley Endowment for Catholic Education catholicfoundationspokane.org/schools

The John R. Conley Memorial Endowment for Seminarians catholicfoundationspokane.org/othercatholicorganizations

Catholic Foundation of Eastern Washington Attn: Sr. Mary Tracy, P.O. Box 1484, Spokane, WA 99210

Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes 1115 W. Riverside Ave, Spokane, WA 99201 spokanecathedral.com/give

St. Aloysius Catholic Church 330 E. Boone Ave, Spokane, WA 99202

St. Joseph Catholic Church 3720 E. Colbert Rd, Colbert, WA 99005

Sacred Heart Catholic Church 219 E Rockwood Blvd, Spokane, WA 99202