Mary Ann Billos Krueger, 87, passed away on Saturday, November 15, 2025 after hospice care in Sebastian, Florida. She was an involved mother, grandmother, great grandmother, wife, and sister. She loved to celebrate everyone's birthdays, as well as other holidays. She made family weekend camping very memorable and fun.

Mary Ann was born on February 16, 1938, in Wilmington, Delaware to Ruby (Swain) Billos (Carteret, NC) and Mike Billos a.k.a. Mate Biloglav (Zemunik, Yugoslavia). She was the oldest of four children. Her family moved up and down the Eastern seaboard due to her father's dredging industry occupation. She worked to help financially support her family while attending school, belonged to 4H and Art Clubs, performed as a majorette, and earned the title of Miss Oceana Virginia Beach 1954.

She met Marvin Krueger, a Korean War sailor from Wisconsin, while living in Norfolk, Virginia. She flew up to WI and married Marvin on March 12, 1955 at St. Paul's United Methodist Church in Stevens Point. They raised three college-educated daughters, working together the last ten years as owners of Krueger Office Products before retiring in 1997. Mary Ann was involved in her daughters' activities as a Scout Leader. She pursued her passion for animals through founding the Portage County Humane Society, and was a lifelong member of PETA and Greenpeace. Mary Ann frequently wrote Open Letters in the Stevens Point Journal regarding her opposition to pesticides, crop dusting, and deer hunting, to name a few. Her extensive environmental groundwater research work has been archived with the UW-Stevens Point library. She also traveled solo on an Amazon River cruise (very rustic), on South African safari, and on a riverboat cruise in Russia (she broke her arm in Red Square on the first day, but insisted on staying on the trip). She bowled, played golf (won a trophy), flower gardened, and doted on the stray animals she took in. Mary Ann was very artistic, and loved creating items out of recycled materials. She made a lasting impression on all the hearts she touched.

Mary Ann and Marvin retired to Sebastian, Florida where they were snowbirds for eight years before permanently moving to Florida. They enjoyed the beach, and went on excursions. Mary Ann was a volunteer at Pelican Island Elementary where she helped young students learn to read, and she also ran the Art Club there. After 12 years, she was honored with the Senior Volunteer of the Year Award for Indian River County Schools.

After Marvin passed away in 2012, Mary Ann continued to be involved in the community. When her grandson and his wife started a family up in Charleston, SC, she enjoyed traveling there and stayed with her daughter Lottie and husband Art. With Lottie's help/research, Mary Ann found her father's huge Croatian family/legacy, and connected with several Croatian relatives on Facebook.

Mary Ann is survived by her sister Sarah Billos, her daughter Lottie (Art) Blanchet (Charleston, SC), her daughter Melanie Bowe (Los Angeles, CA), her daughter Michelle Krueger (Sebastian, FL), her grandson Jacob Koch (Irina) (Charleston, SC), her grandson Jarek Koch (Chicago, IL), her grandson Sean Bowe (Ayami) (Japan), her grandson Nathan Bowe (Wisconsin), her granddaughter Bryanna Grayson (Charlotte, NC), and her granddaughter Kylee (Mitchell) Johnson (Kissimmee, FL). She also has three great grandchildren. Mary Ann was preceded in death by her brothers Mickey and Stephen Billos.

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the Portage County Humane Society in Stevens Point, WI ( https://hspcwi.org>Get Involved>Donate ). Burial will be at Restlawn Memorial Cemetery in Wisconsin Rapids, WI. Arrangements are by Seawinds Funeral Home & Crematory, Sebastian, FL. A guest book is available at www.seawindsfh.com . Mary Ann's motto was "one person CAN make a difference!"