George Caraker
Mary Lumijarvi Caraker
September 19, 1929 - November 15, 2025
San Francisco — Mary Jane Caraker, a gentle and creative soul, passed away peacefully on November 15, 2025, at the age of 96. To those who knew her, Mary was a steady and loving presence — someone who noticed the little things, cared deeply, and approached life with curiosity, tenacity and imagination.
Born Mary Jane Lumijarvi on September 19, 1929, a child of the Depression and the middle of three siblings, she grew up in a Finnish farming community in the Columbia River valley west of Portland, Oregon. Mary had a keen eye for the world around her; she was intelligent and observant, imaginative and precise. These qualities shaped her life in ways that made her a comforting and inspiring companion.
A scholarly student who always worked hard and loved to learn, Mary received a full scholarship to Willamette University in Oregon, where she studied English literature. Later, while raising her kids, she earned her Master’s degree from San Francisco State University. Her love of literature and language guided her through a life-long career teaching English in Hawaii and the San Francisco public schools.
While out for drinks with her sister at the Iron Pot in San Francisco, she met Edward Emmett Caraker, the man who would become her husband. Their life together was filled with affection, travel and shared devotion to their growing family. Together they raised four children who carry her kindness, curiosity, and appreciation for life’s softer moments.
Mary was the author of numerous published works of fiction. She wrote primarily in the science fiction genre, and was mentored for a time by acclaimed author Ursula Le Guin. She also wrote short stories, romance and poetry. Her lifelong interest in Finnish history and culture inspired much of her writing, including a feminist retelling of the epic poem, the Kalevala from the female characters’ points of view. She approached writing with discipline and creativity, weaving stories that reflected her own life experiences and wide ranging imagination.
In her senior years, Mary embodied the Finnish quality of sisu, which roughly translates as courage and tenacious determination. She was fiercely self-sufficient, continuing to walk, shop and cook for herself, very nearly to the end of her life.
Mary is survived by her children — Cathie, George, Richard, and Elizabeth — and her grandchildren — Miles, Ella, Emily and Sean — who will forever carry the imprint of her gentleness, her creativity, and her steady love.
She leaves behind a legacy not just in her writing and her teaching, but in the countless quiet ways she made the world brighter. She will be treasured, remembered, and deeply missed.
September 19, 1929 - November 15, 2025
San Francisco — Mary Jane Caraker, a gentle and creative soul, passed away peacefully on November 15, 2025, at the age of 96. To those who knew her, Mary was a steady and loving presence — someone who noticed the little things, cared deeply, and approached life with curiosity, tenacity and imagination.
Born Mary Jane Lumijarvi on September 19, 1929, a child of the Depression and the middle of three siblings, she grew up in a Finnish farming community in the Columbia River valley west of Portland, Oregon. Mary had a keen eye for the world around her; she was intelligent and observant, imaginative and precise. These qualities shaped her life in ways that made her a comforting and inspiring companion.
A scholarly student who always worked hard and loved to learn, Mary received a full scholarship to Willamette University in Oregon, where she studied English literature. Later, while raising her kids, she earned her Master’s degree from San Francisco State University. Her love of literature and language guided her through a life-long career teaching English in Hawaii and the San Francisco public schools.
While out for drinks with her sister at the Iron Pot in San Francisco, she met Edward Emmett Caraker, the man who would become her husband. Their life together was filled with affection, travel and shared devotion to their growing family. Together they raised four children who carry her kindness, curiosity, and appreciation for life’s softer moments.
Mary was the author of numerous published works of fiction. She wrote primarily in the science fiction genre, and was mentored for a time by acclaimed author Ursula Le Guin. She also wrote short stories, romance and poetry. Her lifelong interest in Finnish history and culture inspired much of her writing, including a feminist retelling of the epic poem, the Kalevala from the female characters’ points of view. She approached writing with discipline and creativity, weaving stories that reflected her own life experiences and wide ranging imagination.
In her senior years, Mary embodied the Finnish quality of sisu, which roughly translates as courage and tenacious determination. She was fiercely self-sufficient, continuing to walk, shop and cook for herself, very nearly to the end of her life.
Mary is survived by her children — Cathie, George, Richard, and Elizabeth — and her grandchildren — Miles, Ella, Emily and Sean — who will forever carry the imprint of her gentleness, her creativity, and her steady love.
She leaves behind a legacy not just in her writing and her teaching, but in the countless quiet ways she made the world brighter. She will be treasured, remembered, and deeply missed.
