Marise L. Compass

Marise "Risi" L. Compass passed away Friday, Dec. 24, 2021, surrounded by family at her home.

She was born May 1, 1961, the third of six children. The family was the local "Brady Bunch," except they lived in a much smaller house and had no maid.

Risi spent most of her childhood years playing outdoors when the weather was good (and sometimes even if it wasn't). The big backyard contained apple trees (the apples weren't the tastiest, but they were awesome for throwing) and a perfect redbud to climb. Numerous neighborhood kids who were luckily the same age joined in the siblings' escapades. A big empty field and parking lot to play ball, and bicycles to ride up and down the street and to roam beyond, all provided hours of entertainment, and we were set.

On stormy or otherwise indoor days, Risi spent her time reading, daydreaming and creating art, usually drawing. She and her siblings also played "school," and Risi was very often the teacher. And that became her calling, as it turned out.

After working a number of years in newspaper production in Southern California, you can take the girl out of SoCal, but you can't take SoCal out of the girl. How she loved living there: being close to the refreshing ocean, hiking the local San Gabriel mountains and the fascinating deserts, going on spring wildflower excursions, the list goes on and on -- she changed careers and started working with special needs children, most with behavior disorders, social issues and learning disabilities. What a fantastic job: super rewarding and full of wonderful administrators, teachers, aides and other staff called to do the same thing.

Eventually, Risi chose to move back to Missouri to help her aging parents, and again she found work as a teacher. This time she used her Southeast Missouri State University degree in art education and became the pre-kindergarten to sixth grade art teacher in the Woodland School District in Marble Hill, Missouri, for just more than 13 years. Great kids, excellent staff, incredible friends -- she loved being a Cardinal!

As she grew older, she became interested in gardening and spent many hours preparing, planting, weeding and maintaining her front and back yard flower gardens. They were her pride and joy as long as the growing season lasted.

Risi really had few regrets. She wished she had learned to play the guitar sooner and had practiced more. She wished she had asked her parents and grandparents more about their lives and recorded their replies, so she could have written that book she always meant to compose. She wished she had spent less time worrying and more time observing and reflecting.

Her mantra became, "It is what it is." Her advice? Do what feels right, don't sweat the small stuff, be kind, tolerant and positive, and encourage and keep your sense of humor. Tell others who are important to you that you love them and show it -- you never know if you may get that chance again.

Risi loved you all: her students, friends and family.

Survivors include brothers, Andrew, Eric (Kyle Owens) and Kevin (Melissa) Rellergert; sisters, Julie Freeman and Melanie (Tim) Beard; nephews, Christopher and Nathan Rellergert; and nieces, Courtney Rellergert and Brittany, Erica and Brennan Beard.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Herbert W. Rellergert and Mary L. Chafin.

The family would like to thank all her friends and co-workers for the tremendous love and support given to her during this difficult time.

They would also like to thank the doctors, nurses and the staff of Southeast Cancer Center, Saint Louis University Hospital and Bone Marrow Clinic and Southeast Hospice for taking such good care of her.

Visitation will be from 4 to 5 p.m. Thursday at Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau.

Memorial service will follow at 5 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home.

The family asks that masks be worn to help prevent the spread of COVID.

Memorial contributions may be made to Southeast Hospice or Southeast Health Foundation Cancer Care Fund.

Online condolences may be sent at www.fordandsonsfuneralhome.com.