Mavis Crick

Our dear mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, Mavis Ann (Ault) Crick, passed peacefully at the age of 95 surrounded by her loving family on September 14, 2026, at her home in Rancho Mirage, California.

Mavis was born September 3, 1931 in Canton, Illinois, to Frank Harold Ault and Mabel Pearl (Van Dyke) Ault. She was raised with two brothers, Harold Vernon Ault, who predeceased her, and Eldon (Marian) Ault of Midland, Michigan. The Ault family lived in the small rural community of Fiatt, Illinois, surrounded by lush farmland and many animals.

She attended Cuba High School in Illinois, graduating in 1949. After high school graduation, she attended Blackburn College in Carlinville, Illinois, where she received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Social Sciences in 1953.

Mavis married Maurice “Maury” Crick in 1953. He passed away in January, 2022. After their marriage, she was a 3rd grade teacher in the Chicago area, then Maury’s university education and career with Hughes Aircraft Company led them to live in Houston, Texas; Lancaster, California; Minot, North Dakota; and Mt. Clemens, Michigan.

In 1965 the Crick family moved to La Palma, CA, where they purchased their first home and raised their two daughters, Laura and Julie. Mavis was a full-time homemaker, as well as a volunteer for various community and civic organizations, and participated in such events as City of Vision Day, the town’s annual 4th of July Celebration, and the La Palma Youth Group.

Once her daughters were grown, Mavis returned to teaching in the Mentally Gifted Minor (MGM) program with the Centralia School District. One of her greatest joys was working for the Orange County Public Library System as a library assistant. She retired from the library system 25 years ago at the age of 70.

After retirement, Mavis took great pleasure in playing the piano, a skill she’d learned as a child, reading books, walking and enjoying nature, bird watching, and spending time with her family and various family pets.

Mavis also enjoyed sewing clothing for her daughters and their dolls, and participated in school choirs in her earlier years. She was an excellent cook, making delicious meals that included homemade apple sauce, cranberry sauce, and a sweet lemon bundt cake.

Mavis is survived by her family members:

Daughter Laura (Tom) Franchina; granddaughters Marisa (Stephen) Salicos and Heather (Adam) Luna; great-grandchildren Nolan Salicos, Stella Salicos, Harper Luna, and Phoebe Luna.

Daughter Julia (Donald) Engelhardt; grandsons Alex Engelhardt and fiancée Sarah Murray, and Christopher Engelhardt.

The family appreciates your prayers and loving memories. In lieu of flowers, the family would be delighted by a donation of any type to the Orange County Public Library System (https://www.ocplfoundation.org/donate) or to the Audubon Society (https://act.audubon.org/a/donate-search?ms=digital-fund-google-x-paid_cpc-camp333656432_FY27_BF_BRND_SRCH-grp195768650777_BRND_GNRL_AIMAX-ad814815590098_&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=fund_FY27_BF_BRND_SRCH&utm_term=195768650777_BRND_GNRL_AIMAX&utm_content=814815590098_&utm_id=333656432_&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=333656432&gbraid=0AAAAADg_drAZZ9ZdocpKPukZAsslgpE9F&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIn4yM_5T0lgMV6i5ECB0cyAtOEAAYASAAEgKRzvD_BwE).

Graveside services will be held on Saturday, September 29, 2026 at 2:30pm. Friends and extended family are welcome to join the immediate family in celebrating Mavis’s life.