Mary Kay (Johnson) Liacos was born Aug. 14, 1944, in Moscow, to Marian (Gage) and Frank Johnson, as the second youngest of five children. Her first years were spent at Hatter Creek near Princeton until they moved to their home near Mountain Home, north of Potlatch. Mary Kay spent her childhood with her siblings living far from town, doing chores like milking cows and walking to the bus stop in deep snow in the winter. Mary Kay graduated from Potlatch High School in 1962. She joined the U.S. Air Force that fall and later joined the Army National Guard, where she spent most of her working life.
She married Lewis Prange in 1964 at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas, where they were stationed. They had three children, Yvonne, Deborah and Vance. The marriage ended in divorce. Mary Kay married Leon Liacos in 1984 and lost him just two short years later. The last 25 years have been with her companion and best friend, Terry Martin. Perhaps two of Mary Kay's favorite activities were fishing and camping! She and Terry spent many happy times fishing and camping together. Her favorite pastime recently was spending time with her granddaughters. She could not go somewhere without showing everyone (I mean everyone) pictures of Heather and Reagynn.
Mary Kay was a member of a large extended family. She was a beloved mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. She made regular yearly trips to Idaho to visit her mother, siblings and extended family. She especially enjoyed camping with her family on the Lochsa and the biannual family reunions at Hatter Creek, Idaho. She passed away Sept. 27, 2013, in Portland, Ore., of cancer. Mary Kay's parents, Frank and Marian Johnson, preceded her in death, as well as her sister-in-law, Betty (Tannahill) Johnson. and brother-in-law Bill Bell. She is survived by her companion, Terry Martin; and three children, Yvonne McNeil of Milwaukie, Ore., Deborah Hedrick of Clackamas, Ore., and Vance Prange of Roseburg, Ore.; along with seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren; in addition to her siblings, Eugene Johnson of Lewiston, Shirley (Karl) Kimberling of Culdesac, Anne Bell of Moscow and Frances (Tom) Shauvin of Milwaukie, Ore.; and a multitude of nieces, nephews, cousins and aunts and uncles.
Mary Kay's life will be celebrated starting at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Mt. Scott Funeral Home, 4205 S.E. 59th Ave., Portland, Ore. In lieu of flowers, a donation to Portland Veterans Affairs Hospital, 3710 S.W. U.S. Veterans Hospital Road, Portland, OR 97239, in care of Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center Voluntary Service, is appreciated. She will be buried with her parents at 11 a.m. Saturday at Freeze Cemetery in Potlatch.
