Mary Louise Powers November 26, 1952 - March 19, 2025

Mary Louise Powers of Allentown, PA passed peacefully from this earthly life to eternal life with Christ on March 19, 2025 after a long, brave, and courageous battle with Lewy Body dementia.

Mary Louise was born in Fort Knox, KY, on November 26, 1952. She graduated from Petersburg High School, Petersburg, VA, in 1970. She then earned a B.A. in Biology from Anna Maria College in Paxton, MA, in 1974 and a B. S. in Computer Science from Lafayette College, Easton, PA, in 1990. She first worked as a Biologist at the Department of Public Health in Worcester, MA, and then as a Software Engineer at Compugraphic Corporation in Wilmington, MA. In 1986 she moved to the Lehigh Valley to work at Lafayette College as a Programmer Analyst. Subsequently she joined Lehigh University where she became a Senior Database Analyst. She retired from Lehigh in 2018. She was a member of St. Joseph the Worker Roman Catholic Church, Orefield, PA.

Mary Louise’s greatest love in life was for her family, especially for her sons David and Connor. Her next great love was music. Mary Louise was quite musically talented and had a beautiful soprano voice that delighted her family and friends. She sang for many years with the MIT Choral Society in Cambridge, MA, and the Lehigh University Choral Union in Bethlehem, PA.

Mary Louise is survived by two sons, David M. Tench of Brooklyn, NY, and Connor W. Tench of Oakland, CA; her former husband Robert E. Tench of Allentown; three brothers, Robert Powers of Needham, MA, David Powers of Allentown, and Mark Powers of Port Deposit, MD; and many cousins, nieces, and nephews. She was predeceased by her father, Robert Arthur Powers, in 2007, and her mother, Catherine Bernardine McCarron Powers, in 2024.

Funeral arrangements are by Stephens Funeral Home, Inc., 274 North Krocks Road, Allentown, PA 18106. Calling hours are from 2-4 pm and 7-9 pm on Monday, March 24 at the funeral home.  A funeral Mass will be celebrated at St. Joseph the Worker Roman Catholic Church, 1879 Applewood Drive, Orefield, PA, 18069 at 10:30 am on Tuesday, March 25 preceded by calling hours at 9:30 am at the church and followed by interment in Resurrection Cemetery in Upper Macungie Township.  Memorial flowers are welcomed. The family respectfully requests that memorial donations be made to the church or to the Lehigh University Choral Union in care of the funeral home.