Mary Norling

On February 28, 2021, Mary Norling bid us all her final farewell, and wanted all to know that at 93, she was fine and ready to go. Mary was born in 1927 in Gary, Indiana, to Eva and Thomas Pappas, two hardworking immigrants from the Greek island of Crete. As an only child (practically unheard of for a Greek family), Mary vowed that were she to marry, she would fill her home with lots of children. Years later, while in a friend's wedding rehearsal as a bridesmaid, her partner, a perfect stranger, leaned over to her and said, "Someday I hope we can do this." Of course, she thought he was completely nuts… but he was kind, tall, and handsome… and they fell in love. At 26, Mary would wed Nils Norling and have four sons: Tom, Mark, John and Paul…. finally, she got the large family she'd dreamt of. Over the next 60 years, Mary and Nils built a wonderful life together in Homewood, IL, including their very first home – which they literally built together. Mary had an infectious laugh, a kind heart, and the perfect temperament for raising four rambunctious boys. She loved nothing more than large family gatherings, delicious Greek dinners, holidays and spending time with family and friends. She was an incredible seamstress, enjoyed painting, loved her birds, and was known for her green thumb. She enjoyed working in her garden until she could no more. Mary is survived by her four sons, three daughters-in-law (Alicia, Lisa and Judy) and six grandchildren (Michael, Melissa, Christopher, Emily, Max and Mia). Per her wishes there will be a private ceremony. Mary would have preferred that the flowers remain in the garden, so any memorials in her honor should be given to the South Suburban Humane Society. For any additional information please contact tews-ryanfh.com or call 708-798-5300.