Mary Lee House

- Mary Lee House, July 20, 1929 – April 6, 2015 MADISON -Mary Lee House (maiden name Mary Lee Pflaum Fix), born on July 20, 1929, departed on April 6, 2015, after a short illness. She was the daughter of Leo and Margaret Fix, and married to Harold House until his passing in 1985. She is survived by her sons Leo and Harold (Harry) House, her daughter Stacy McAnulty, grand-daughters Heather and Hannah McAnulty, daughter-in-law Jan Hansen, and son-in-law Dr. Jonathan McAnulty. Mary Lee was a lifelong resident of Madison, Wisconsin. She led an extraordinary life for a woman of her era. As a teenage girl, she explored the many trout streams of the sand counties of Wisconsin with her hip waders and fly rod; and hunted pheasants in the cornfields of South Dakota with her father. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1952 earning a bachelor’s degree in home economics, and married Harold House later that same year. She was the secretary-treasurer of Fix Brothers Plastering Inc., and managed the financial affairs of the firm from a home office while raising her three children. She retired from business following the death of her husband, and became an enthusiastic world traveler. She visited numerous countries spanning the globe across Australia, Africa, Scandinavia, South America, and Europe. Mary Lee and her husband were avid outdoor sports people who loved to hunt and fish together. She was a skilled fly-fisherman who loved casting for trout and blue-gills. She went on many fishing expeditions both in and outside of Wisconsin with her husband and children. Her fishing trips took her to Canada, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, offshore Florida, and New Zealand. Mary Lee loved the University of Wisconsin Hoofers Outing Club. She hosted many parties in the 1970-80s for the Hoofers whitewater boaters - once even hosting the Russian kayak team. Earning the nickname “Ma House” she was an inspiration and surrogate mother for many college-age Hoofers. Mary Lee was a member of Madison’s Sports for Active Seniors and enjoyed their many social events and outdoor trips. She made many SAS friends and has wonderful memories. She thanks the wonderful physicians and staff at Dean Clinic and St. Mary’s Hospital, the friends and staff at her Sienna Crest home, and the compassionate caretakers of the Agrace HospiceCare facility in Madison who made her last days tranquil. True to form, she had a Celebration of Life gathering at Agrace before she passed on. Renowned musician and friend “West Side Andy” performed at the event. Mary Lee’s final message to her many friends and family was “So Long, and Thanks for all the Fish” (from the Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy). Memorial contributions can be made to Camp Manito-Wish YMCA, PO Box 246, Boulder Junction, WI 54512, with a note “In memory of Mary Lee House”. Online condolences may be made at www.gundersonfh.com. Gunderson Oregon Funeral & Cremation Care 1150 Park Street (608)835-3515