Mary Bethe Neely, 75, passed away October 30, 2023 in Surprise, Arizona. She
was born in Manhattan, Kansas, on June 25, 1948 to Marion and Betty Sack.
She moved to Wichita at an early age and attended schools there. While
earning a chemistry degree at Kansas State University, she met and married
Richard Neely. She subsequently earned her Master's in chemistry at Arizona
State University. After moving to Colorado Springs in 1975 they raised one
daughter, Karen.
In Colorado Springs, Mary Bethe introduced thousands of college students to
the magic of chemistry at Pikes Peak Community College and then, for many
years, at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs. Away from teaching,
she was active as a docent at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, member and officer of
Junior League of Colorado Springs, a member of P.E.O., and a Girl Scout
leader. She believed in supporting women, encouraging education, and doing
her part to make the world a better place.
Mother, wife, sister, friend, and teacher are roles she was proud of, but smart,
determined, organized, resilient, helping, and kind are words that described
her. Missing her but thankful that they had her in their lives are daughter
Karen Neely of Big Pine Key, Florida; husband Richard Neely of Surprise,
Arizona; brother Joe Sack of Wichita, Kansas; sister Ann Gruenbacher of
Cincinnati, Ohio; seven brothers and sisters-in-law, and many nieces and
nephews.