Funeral Mass for Mary Helen Kunert will be at 12:00 p.m. Wednesday, March 24, 2021 at Holy Family Catholic Church with Rev. Philip Seeton, Pastor officiating.

Burial will be in Fort Sill National Cemetery, Elgin, Oklahoma under the direction of Becker-Rabon Funeral Home.

The family will greet friends Tuesday evening, March 23, 2021 from 5pm until 7pm at the funeral home.

Due to the ongoing pandemic, family and friends are asked to please wear masks and social distance whenever possible at the service.

Mary Helen Kunert, 80, of Lawton passed away Saturday, March 20, 2021 at her home in Lawton.  She was born Mary Helen Deeley to Francis David (Hutz) Deeley and Mary Genevieve (Bowser) Deeley in Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin on May 21, 1940.  Mary was the eldest of nine children.  She studied at the Sisters of Saint Francis of Assisi convent for her sophomore and junior years of high school.  She then attended Sheboygan Falls High School and graduated from there.  She moved to California to start an adventure.  She married Richard Harry Johnston and had three children.  They were later divorced and she married Ernest Richard (Dick) Kunert on August 16, 1986.  From this marriage she gained four step-children.  She was a mortgage banker in Sheboygan, Wisconsin.  Mary wrote poetry when very young and then resumed writing after her retirement.  She compiled a book of her father's poetry, "A Regular Guy's Song, the Poems and Musings of Hutz Deeley".  She is an award-winning poet with two published compilations of her poetry, Fragments and Seeking.  She also wrote a cookbook, Schlitzhagen and Green Meatballs.  Mary was a member of Celtic Women International, and the founding member of the Lawton Chapter of Celtic Women International.

Mary is survived by her sons Bret Johnston (Janet Ochoa Hoffman) of Buena Park, California, Bart Johnston (Barbara) of Lawton, Oklahoma, her extended children, Roberta (Bill) May of Laurel, Michigan, Richard (Brenda) Kunert of Madison, Wisconsin, Jim Kunert of Lawton, Oklahoma, son-in-law Bill Smith, her siblings; Nora (Leif) Salveson of Plano, Texas, Dolores (Ken) Thuemmler of Sheboygan, Wisconsin, Eileen (Fred) Michaels of Sheboygan, Wisconsin, Jeffrey (Kathy) Deeley of Hilbert, Wisconsin, Randy (Donna) Deeley of Sheboygan, Wisconsin, and sister-in-law Betsey Deeley.  She is also survived by grandchildren Adam (Alexia) of Geronimo, Oklahoma, Timothy (Amber) of Aubrey, Texas, and great grandchildren; Adria, Abigail, Matthew, Marcus, August, and many special friends.

In lieu of flowers, the family request donations be made to the Sarnelli House Orphanage in Mary's name.  www.sarnellihouse.org