Commander (Ret.) Mary Julie Kraper passed away unexpectedly on February 12, 2026, at her home in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. She was 75 years old.

Mary was a proud and devoted wife, loving mother of three sons, faithful Roman Catholic, daughter, sister, friend, United States Navy nurse, Bostonian, dog mom, and gifted storyteller. Her life was defined by service - to her family, her country, and her faith.

Mary was born on February 24, 1950, in Beverly, Massachusetts to John and Anna Crowell, the third of five children. A 1968 graduate of Bishop Fenwick high school and 1972 graduate of Salve Regina College, she joined the United State Navy with her best college friends and fellow nurses.

Her distinguished Navy career took her across the United States, from Charleston, South Carolina, to Puerto Rico, Florida, and California. The pinnacle of her service came in 1978 with her appointment to the White House Medical Unit during the Carter administration, where she provided care to the President, Vice President and First Family, who she admired deeply. It was during this tour that she met and charmed a gregarious, larger-than-life U.S. Navy helicopter pilot, Kenneth M. Kraper. Their whirlwind romance led to a loving marriage that shaped the rest of her life. Their first son Patrick was born in November of 1981.

In August of 1983, following the death of her husband Ken in an aircraft accident on deployment to the Persian Gulf, and the subsequent birth of their twin sons, John and Ken, Mary requested and was granted voluntary recall back to active duty. She was promoted to Commander, and re-assigned to Bethesda Naval Hospital in Bethesda, MD.

Mary dedicated herself wholeheartedly to raising her three boys while continuing to serve her country as a Navy nurse, making her home in Rhode Island to provide stability for her children. She finished her distinguished military career in 1994 as the Assistant Director of Nursing Services (ADNS) at Naval Station Newport in Newport, RI. Her awards included: The Presidential Service Badge; Meritorious Service Medal with Gold Star; Meritorious Unit Commendation; the Navy-Marine Corps Overseas Service Ribbon and the National Defense Service Medal with Bronze Star.

In 2006, she moved to Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, drawn by warmer weather and the comfort of her beloved Atlantic Ocean - though her heart always remained connected to family and friends in New England.

Mary longed to be reunited in heaven with her beloved husband Kenneth, trusting in a loving God and His Blessed Mother. Her faith was her constant refuge through life’s joys and heartbreaks.

She was predeceased by her mother, Anna; her father, John; her brothers, Thomas and John; her beloved husband, Kenneth M. Kraper; and her ever-faithful canine companion, Macree.

She leaves behind her sister, Patricia Kanoff (Donald); her brother, James Crowell (Molly); her sons, Patrick (Molly), Kenneth (Catherine), and John (Emily); and her seven cherished grandchildren: Ryland, Avery, Jack, Wilson, Reid, Jonah, and Davis. She also leaves behind six nieces and nephews whom she adored greatly: Christopher, Cindy, Jenny, Amy, Kim, and Jamie.

A funeral service with military honors will be held in Arlington National Cemetery at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests donations be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Mary’s memory.

Arrangements are by J. Henry Stuhr, Inc., Mount Pleasant Chapel. A memorial message may be sent to the family on our website at www.jhenrystuhr.com.