Mary Beth Vargas, nee Haas, 80, of Belleville, IL, born August 19, 1946, in Belleville, IL, died Tuesday, October 6, 2026, at St. Paul’s Senior Community, Belleville, IL.
Mary graduated from Belleville Township High School in 1964. She worked for W.A. Schickedanz Agency before becoming a federal government employee with the Small Business Administration in downtown St. Louis, MO. Mary worked for the Civil Service Defense Information Systems at Scott AFB, IL, until retiring in April 2006.
Mary loved to cook and bake for her friends and family. She especially loved making Christmas cookies and rum cakes for the holidays. If you knew her at all, she probably fed you a meal or two. Mary adored her grandchildren and spent as much time as possible with them.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Jesus “Jesse” Vargas, Jr. who died on April 4, 2022; her parents, Loretta, nee Poelker, and Walter Tewart, and Howard Haas; two brothers, Howard and Ronald Haas; two sisters, Judith Hart and Jean Sluder; and a sister-in-law, Phyllis Haas.
She is survived by two daughters, Cathy (Michael) Lippert and Sandra Banard; three sons, Roger Vargas, Robert Vargas, and Richard Vargas; eight grandchildren, Claire Zimmerman, Grace Lippert, Brett Lippert, James Conder, Stephen Hurst, Lynsey Crone, Gabrielle Vargas, and Jared Vargas; two brothers, Larry Haas and Kenneth Haas; a sister, Cathy Haas Robinson-Morgan; and nieces and nephews.
The family would like to give special thanks to the staff at St. Paul’s Senior Community for the loving care they provided Mary.
Memorials may be made to BJC Hospice. Condolences may be expressed to the family online at www.rennerfh.com.
Visitation: Friends may visit from 3 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, October 14, 2026, at George Renner & Sons Funeral Home, Belleville, IL.
Burial of cremains will be at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, St. Louis, MO, at a later date.
