Mary Catherine Hartough
January 1933-July 2025
Mary Catherine Hartough, 92, of Tacoma, Washington passed away peacefully on July 25, 2025.
Born Mary Catherine Moyer in Seattle, Washington to William and Catherine Moyer, she grew up with three brothers—Patrick, Grant, and Michael---prompting her to speak her mind and hold her own from an early age. Her father owned a hardware store, and Mary could fix just about anything.
Mary attended nursing school at Seattle University and spent her career serving children and families as a public health nurse and school nurse. She married Joseph Hughes Hartough in 1958 and together they raised six children. Mary and Joseph were active members of St. Ann’s Parish in Tacoma, Washington where they directed the choir for more than a decade. Mary sang for countless weddings and funerals, sharing her beautiful singing voice.
Mary is survived by her brother, Michael Moyer, five of her children: Catherine Byrns, Patrick Hartough (Angela), Michelle Boman, Maura Reynolds (Mark) and Bridget Riley -and eight grandchildren—Shawn, Courtney, Kyle, Meghan, Kelly, Killian, Kara, and Kaitlyn; and twelve great-grandchildren. She is preceded in death by her husband Joseph and her daughter, Heidi Hartough Pfeiffer.
Mary will be remembered as a spirited, sharp-witted, and deeply loving woman, a devout Roman Catholic, who touched countless lives as a nurse, mother, aunt, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend.
Mary’s joy was contagious; she connected with others through her delightful jokes and gift of blarney. She had a special connection with children, lighting up in their presence. Mary spent the last 20 years of her career with the Clover Park School District, caring for elementary school children and special needs children.
She had a love of travel and for the past two years, enjoyed holidays and everyday life on the East Coast with her daughter Maura and son-in law Mark, surrounded by grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She returned to the Pacific Northwest for her final chapter, under the loving care of her beloved granddaughter, Meghan Hartough-Pfeiffer, a gifted nurse who followed in Mary’s footsteps. Special thanks to the fabulous memory care team at Merrill Gardens, Wright’s Park.
Mary was the heart of her family—its matriarch—and she will be missed deeply by all who knew and loved her.
A Celebration of Life Mass will be held at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Tacoma on August 8th at 11am.
In lieu of flowers, the family welcomes donations in Mary’s memory to St. Jude Children’s Hospital or your favorite children’s charity organization.
St. Patrick Catholic Church (Tacoma)
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