Mary Lourdes Bernadette Jura

Mary Jura passed away on February 1, 2023 after a long battle with cancer. Mary was born Mary Lourdes Avila in 1958 in Hanford, moving to Clovis where she attended Dry Creek Elementary, then to Fresno finishing elementary school at Teague . She and her six siblings graduated from Central High School. She married her high-school sweetheart, Keith Evan Jura, and raised their three children in Fresno. When Keith started his business, San Joaquin Figs, Mary often filled in at various roles, wrangled their small children, and supported Keith through the early years. Years later, she watched her small grandchildren, often taking them on day trips and crafting at home. 

Mary was a devoted wife and mother, a long-time benefactor to many charitable causes, and a lover of pottery, watercolor painting, and other arts. Mary was a quiet presence in social situations, but she engaged each person she met with such kindness and concern that they often recalled their interaction years later. Her kindness was rooted in her deep Catholic faith, which sustained her throughout her life. She was a particular devotee of Our Lady of Fatima, the apparition of Mary to three small shepherd children in Portugal in 1917. Along with Keith, she traveled to many religious shrines around the world, including Lourdes, Medjugorje, and San Giovanni Rotondo. In 2017, they spent two weeks hiking the Camino de Santiago in northern Spain. 

Mary is survived by her parents, Tony and Lourdes Avila, her husband Keith, her daughters Nichole (Oskar) Chomicki and Laura (Daniel) Mortenson, her son Matthew (Alyssa) Jura, her brothers Anthony, Louie, and John, and her sisters Gerianne and Gloria. She was predeceased by her sister Rosalie. She had 14 grandchildren, including Maximilian, Lucia, Azalea, Lilia, and Regina (children of Nichole), Sophie, Elyse, Bruce, and Anastasia (children of Matthew), and Isabella, Maryanne, Kenneth, Marvin, and Ariadne (children of Laura). 

In Lieu of Flowers Mary and our family has requested donations to either of the following organizations:
Obria Medical Clinics of Central California  5359 N Fresno St, Suite 108, Fresno, CA  93710 or online at www.obria365.org
St Charles Borromeo Church Project   www.stcharlesvisalia.org   or send donation to Good Shepherd Catholic Parish, 506 N Garden St, Visalia, CA  93291