In Memoriam

Although Maria made amazing progress with her fight against cancer, we are sad to update this blog with the news of her passing.

Maria Jensen, 67, died June 24 in Sun City West. She was born December 24, 1943, in Bornem, Belgium, moving to the United States at age 9. Her family settled in St. Clair Shores, MI, where she attended high school.

In 1962, she worked at the Seattle World’s Fair, where she helped introduce the Belgian waffle to the American public, including Elvis Presley.

Maria worked as a secretary for the automotive industry until she married her husband Don in 1964. The pair lived in Michigan, Illinois, and Wisconsin. Maria was active in her community by helping to found an athletic booster club for the high school her three sons attended. She received an Associate’s Degree in Accounting from Waukesha County Technical College in 1997 at age 54.

Don and Maria retired to Arizona in 2004 to be closer to family. In the Corte Bella community near Sun City West, she was an accomplished cook, active golfer, and was passionate about fitness, greeting card making, and spending time with her many friends there.

She is survived by her husband Don; her mother Caroline; her brother Henri (Fran); her sons Gary (Diane), Dennis (Velvet), and Charles (Beau); and her grandchildren Sophie and Ben.

A memorial gathering for friends will be held in November.

In lieu of flowers, those wishing to honor her memory can send donations to “WCTC Foundation for the Maria J. Jensen Memorial Fund” at Waukesha County Technical College, Room C-213, 800 Main St, Pewaukee, WI 53072.