Mary Barber Fosselman

March 10, 1920 - June 12, 2024

Long time Tiger and even longer South Pasadena resident, Mary Barber Fosselman, age 104, has passed away. Mary was born in San Mateo, California. She was one of four children born to Norma Richardson and Daniel Barber. Her mom was a stay-at-home mom and her dad was a pharmacist. Both of Mary's parents had moved to California from Nebraska.

Five months after Mary was born, the family moved to South Pasadena where Mary started her somewhat life-long residency in South Pasadena. Her first home was on Alpha Street in lower South Pasadena. When it was time for school, Mary attend Arroyo Vista Elementary School before heading to the South Pasadena Junior High School. After junior high, Mary attended South Pasadena High School and graduated with the class of 1937. During junior and senior high school, Mary played both soccer and softball. She told her children that she was very good at these sports.

When Mary was 13 years old, she got her first job at the Rialto Theater, working in the sweet shop. The following summer she took her second job at the Ritz Theater which was next to Gus's Barbecue on Fair Oaks Avenue. At the Ritz she worked in the soda fountain. The following two summers, she worked at Camp Richardson Resort in Lake Tahoe, running the snack bar for a friend who was somehow connected to the Ritz Theater. Mary always told her friends and family that the summer jobs at Camp Richardson Resort were the best.

After graduating from South Pasadena High School, Mary had a few other jobs in and around South Pasadena, but her future started when she got a job at Fosselman's Ice Cream Store on Mission Street. While working at Fosselman's she met Bill Fosselman who would later become her husband. However, before they were married, Bill was off to World War II in the Navy and Mary was left running the ice cream store in his absence.

When Mary wasn't scooping ice cream and managing the store, she had second and third jobs with Monitor Products and MicroDot, two manufacturing companies that were in South Pasadena. Both companies were heavily involved with making essential parts for the military during the war years.

While Bill was assigned to the Pacific Fleet, Mary and Bill corresponded frequently. Then one weekend when Bill was home on leave, they got engaged and eventually married in 1944. When the war was over, Bill returned to South Pasadena and took over running Fosselman's until it closed in 1973.

Fosselman's was a very popular hang out for many folks. It was perfect for coffee, lunch, and an informal dinner. It was also a great place to get ice cream. Midafternoon, when the schools would get out and after football games, Fosselman's was the place to go and hang out. The store would be packed with teenagers, hanging out at the local malt shop as it was called back in the day. Anyone growing up in South Pasadena in the 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, and early 70s knew that Fosselman's was the heart of the community. A bronze plaque is embedded in the concrete sidewalk on Mission Street where Fosselman's once stood as a friendly reminder to many folks where business deals, first dates, and social gatherings took place.

Mary and Bill purchased their first home in South Pasadena on Garfield Avenue. After their first child, Tina (class of '65), was born and another, Pete (class of '68), was on the way, Mary and Bill moved to a larger home in Temple City. This was the start of Mary's first and only absence from South Pasadena. While in Temple City, Roberta (class of '73) and Mary Jo (class of '75) were born. The 20-minute drive from Temple City to South Pasadena for Bill to run the ice cream store was very taxing at the time. So, after a six-year absence from South Pasadena, Mary and Bill moved back to South Pasadena and settled into a big house on Milan Avenue where Bill remained until his passing in 2012, and Mary remained until her passing. At 104 years, Mary spent 98 of them in South Pasadena.

Mary was a stay-at-home mom for the growing years of her children. When the youngest, Mary Jo, entered the fifth grade, Mary got a part time job at the Bullock's Department store on Lake Street in Pasadena working in the bridal registry. Mary loved that job and enjoyed getting to know each bride that came to register. Bullock's was eventually bought out by Macy's Department Store, but Mary continued to work until she retired in 1987.

Mary was involved in a variety of ways with the South Pasadena Alumni Association. She attended meetings and helped organize several events, one of which was the All-Year's Reunion held at Garfield Park each year. The last reunion she attended was at 102 years old when Mary Jo and Pete walked her over to the park from her house. She was a bit taken back that there was no sign-in sheet for folks who graduated in the 30s. The first clip board started with 1940. The people handling the check-in told her to just "write your name at the top of the list."

The Fosselman family always had a variety of pets at the Milan house. Friends of the Fosselman children would go home after a visit and tell their parents that the Fosselman's lived on a farm. Perhaps it was caused by the variety of pets that came and went over the years. Dogs, cats, rabbits, racing pigeons, Guinea pigs, finches, and canaries were just some of the critters that could be found from time to time at the Milan house. In 1999, the Mayor of South Pasadena appointed Mary to the Animal Commission. To this day, none of the family members ever figured out exactly what it was or what it meant. They only know that Mary was very proud of her proclamation that hung on the den wall.

Mary was a big Dodger fan and enjoyed watching her team play each day. She attended her last Dodger game at 103 years old. She also like the Lakers, but she preferred the Laker teams with Jerry West, Magic, Kareem, and Kobe. Sadly, Jerry West passed away the same day as Mary.

Mary and Bill were married for 67 years when Bill passed away. A week before Mary's passing, they would have celebrated their 80th anniversary. We are all sure they were able to celebrate once again, now that Mary and Bill are back together again.

Go Tigers!

Pete Fosselman '68