Born in Washington DC on April 24, 1947, Mary Lou died at home in Tucson, Arizona on February 19, 2024 after a brief illness. She was predeceased by her husband Thomas Grundner, parents Mary Louise and John Monahan, brother Michael Monaghan, and nephew Christopher Gregory. She is survived by sisters Kathleen Monahan Chaney (Conrad), Marjorie Monahan Gamel (Henry), Grace Monahan Gregory (Eric), and sister-in law Ellen Monaghan. Also survived by nieces Sarah and Bridget Gamel, Meghan Chaney (Joshua Kennedy-Smith), nephews Robert Chaney (Laura Tenschert), John Gregory (Sarah Loewen), Colin Gregory (Elizabeth Kinney), Christopher Monaghan, Thomas Monaghan, Matthew Monaghan, great-nieces Madeline Gregory, Emma Gregory, Barra Chaney-Smith, great-nephews Wyatt Buck, Emmet Hench, Lucas Gregory, and August Chaney-Smith.

Mary Lou dedicated her entire professional life to excellence in nursing,both as a clinical specialist in Critical Care and as a hospital administrator in Nursing leadership positions across the U.S. As a clinical instructor at Case Western Reserve and The University of Arizona, Mary Lou was deeply committed to training the next generation of nursing professionals. She received her nursing diploma from St. Joseph's Hospital in Carbondale Pennsylvania, her BSN from the University of Maryland, MSN from UCLA and MBA from Case Western Reserve University. Later in her career, she attended the University of Phoenix for a certificate as a Family Nurse Practitioner. The final working years that Mary Lou spent as a dedicated primary care provider for her beloved patients were, by her own admission, the most rewarding accomplishment of all.

Even as involved as Mary Lou was in her profession, she always found time for family. She loved planning outings with her nieces and nephews, celebrating birthdays and holidays, joining her sisters for a very special trip to Ireland, and gathering everyone for summer reunions at the family place in Ocean City. Friends, too, were a cherished part of Mary Lou’s life, and she maintained warm connections with them across many years and great physical distance.

In the 1990's with her husband Tom, a former Navy SEAL and Vietnam veteran, Mary Lou established Fireship Press, a small publishing house specializing in naval history and historical fiction. After Tom’s death in 2011, Mary Lou continued to manage and run the business, She particularly enjoyed the process of working with previously-unpublished authors to enable them to create and publish their first book.

Mary Lou was a member of Santa Catalina Roman Catholic Church in Tucson, Arizona. She was active in the Stephen Ministry program, and was looking forward to deepening her work there.

A Funeral Mass will be held for Mary Lou at Santa Catalina Catholic Church, 143800 North Oracle Road, Tucson, Arizona 85739, at 11 am on Friday May 10, 2024. A reception will follow in the Church Hall. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Redemptorist Renewal Center, 7101 W. Picture Rocks Road, Tucson, Arizona, 85743, or online via PayPal at desert renewal.org