Mary Beth Sefton

The firstborn of ten children, Mary Beth took her role as leader of the pack very seriously. She was a caretaker with a huge heart and, sometimes, an iron grip. She had a talent for orchestrating almost any situation but played her cards very close to her chest. She was always ready for an adventure. 

Born in Anderson, Indiana, she lived her formative years with her family in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She graduated from St. Vincent School of Nursing in Sioux City Iowa in 1969 and soon joined the United States Army, sworn into the service by her own Colonel father. By 1970 she was serving in Vietnam in an Evacuation Hospital in Phu Bai, 75 miles south of the demilitarized zone. Between Vietnam and Japan, she completed 2 1/2 years of service in the Army Nurse Corp overseas. Her nursing career encompassed many roles. She served in the emergency room, critical care, the ICU and her true love, obstetrics.

She was a long-time resident of the Washington DC area where her two children were born. She volunteered for everything. She was a long-time resident of Falls Church Virginia in Fairfax County and after many years of nursing she worked as a Life Safety Educator for their Fire Department. Creative and resourceful, she could whip up fantastic costumes out of what seemed to be chewing gum and string. She never threw out anything that might be the least bit useful. She loved babies and rarely passed up a good thrift store. She was devoted to family, making long trips to Michigan for major clan gatherings, delighting her family and especially her children’s young cousins. She was a master baker, made many wedding cakes and always Christmas cookies. 

Mary Beth was always ready to provide support at critical intersections in your life. If you were in trouble or needed a hand, she was there, strong, smart, supportive, and full of humor to wade through drama or trauma. As she often said, “No shots were fired, no felony arrests, no arterial bleeding. We are fine.” 

Mary Beth is preceded in death by her husband, Tom Edmonds, her parents Bill and Beth Sefton, her sister Amelia Sefton, and her grand-niece Willa Grace Sefton. She leaves behind her children Michael Breton “Bret” (Melissa Newt) Hutchinson, Jennifer Elizabeth “Nifer” Sefton, grandchild Vivian Elizabeth “Vivi Beth” Hutchinson, her stepson Joshua Edmonds, and his adult child Kelcie, step daughter Dana Kissenberger and her son Justin, and Mary Beth’s siblings: Michael (Betty) Sefton, Susie Sefton (Frank Burns), Laurie Sefton (Henry Erb), Rebecca “Becky” Sefton (Hubert Kraemer), Bill (Sharon Hart) Sefton, Sarah (Ed) Simon, David (Crystal) Sefton, Kathy (Alex) Miller along with many nieces and nephews and their families. A memorial service is planned for July 2026 when all her family will be gathered. Details will be posted when available.