Mary Lou Vega, age 85, of Crown Point, IN passed away on January 21, 2023. She is survived by her daughters: Patricia (John Paul) Simoncelli, and Rebecca (Douglas) Cripe; grandchildren: Andrew (Kristen) Cripe, Cassandra Cripe, Courtney Simoncelli, and Daniel Cripe; sisters: Gloria Casillas, Cecilia Gonzales, and Theresa (Ferdinando) Perez; brothers: Fernando Origel, Robert (Grace) Origel, John (Martha) Origel. She was preceded in death by her husband (Ralph), her parents (Louis and Lillian), and four brothers (Ramon, Ricardo, Louis, Joseph).
Mary Lou Vega was born in Leon Guanajuato, Mexico on September 11th, 1937. She lived there until she was 21 years old, when she then immigrated with her family to America, landing in East Chicago, Indiana. She began taking English classes and working at La Guadalupana in Chicago, IL. There, she met her husband, Ralph Vega, whom she married on June 3rd, 1962. They had two children together, Rebecca and Patricia. When Ralph passed in 1968, Mary Lou became a widow at the age of 29 years old. With two young children to take care of, Mary Lou quickly learned how to navigate life on her own as a single mother. After devoting her time to raising her two daughters and seeing them off to college, she then spent over 25 years caring for her father and brother in their times of illness. She was a natural caregiver at heart, always willing to step up and lend a hand and heart to anyone in need.
Friends are invited to pay their respects on Tuesday, January 24, 2023 from 3:00pm-7:00pm at the LINCOLN RIDGE FUNERAL HOME, 7607 W. Lincoln Hwy., Schererville (Rt. 30 East of Cline Ave.) The funeral service will be held on Wednesday at 10:00AM at Lincoln Ridge Funeral Home of Schererville, officiated by Reverend Francisco Luna. She will be placed to rest at Ridgelawn Cemetery, Gary. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations are made to VNA Hospice NWI at https://vnanwi.org/give.php due to the incredible care they provided Mary at the end of her life.
We will all miss Mary Lou dearly, but we are so grateful for the memories, time, and adventures we shared with her. We will always feel her presence in our hearts.
