Shooting – Tribute to Mary Kathryn “Mary Kay” Wigger

The Strength Behind the Spotlight

Mary Kathryn Spencer was born on October 8, 1939, in Whitefish, Montana. While attending Montana State College in Bozeman in the late 1950s, she met a determined young ROTC cadet and rifle shooter named Lones W. Wigger Jr. They married on December 28, 1958, in Great Falls, and began a lifelong partnership that would quietly shape American marksmanship for generations.

A Life in Shooting, a Life in Support

Mary Kay wasn’t just a spectator to history—she helped carry it. Over the course of Lones’s long and decorated career, she remained a constant presence. From Germany to Georgia, Colorado Springs to Camp Perry, Mary Kay managed the hotel keys, the peanut butter sandwiches, the team t-shirts, and the missing shooting glove—all before most people even rolled out of bed.

Lones often joked, “Mary Kay got to see the nicest rifle ranges in the world.” But it was her steady presence and quiet sacrifices that helped make all those victories possible.

Family & Legacy

Mary Kay and Lones had three children: Ron, Danny Deena —all of whom followed in their parents’ footsteps in service, marksmanship, and coaching. Deena became an Olympian in Seoul 1988 and claimed multiple world medals. Ron served as a collegiate coach at West Point, and Danny has remains an active formidable competitor in the sport. “Team Wigger” wasn’t just a family—it was a national fixture. As recently as 2025, Deena took home the Critchfield National Trophy, a fitting echo of her father’s legacy and her mother’s tireless support.

Volunteer Spirit and Community Service

Mary Kay was more than a rifle mom—she was the team mom. Whether it was scoring targets at Fort Benning, washing nasty sweatshirts in the middle of the night at Perry, or driving vans packed with juniors across state lines, she was always the calm, reliable adult in a sport that required constant movement. She earned her 30-year Volunteer Pin in 2013 and served with the American Red Cross for over two decades.

One longtime junior coach once remarked, “If Mary Kay was there, you knew everything would be okay—even if you forgot your ammo.”

A Quiet Strength Behind a Champion

While Lones stood on Olympic podiums and claimed 58 national titles, Mary Kay was organizing rides, managing scorebooks, and making sure the team was fed. She gave Lones the bandwidth to be great, and she gave the sport a deeper definition of what true partnership looks like. Lones often got the headlines, but Mary Kay ensured the story could be written.

A Final Bow

Mary Kay passed away on May 26, 2023, in Colorado Springs, at age 83. She was preceded in death by Lones, her husband of 59 years. She is survived by her children, grandchildren, and an extended family that includes thousands of athletes, parents, coaches, and volunteers who remember her not just as “Lones’s wife,” but as their own mentor, encourager, and friend.

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Why Mary Kay’s Story Matters

In a sport that celebrates precision, Mary Kay embodied consistency. In a culture that rewards the front-runners, she championed the unseen. Her patience, humility, and resilience built the conditions in which greatness could quietly grow.

She never fired a shot at Camp Perry, but her fingerprints are on a thousand targets. She never wore a medal, but she helped hang hundreds around the necks of others. In every generation of American rifle shooting, there are traces of Mary Kay Wigger—the quiet force who kept the team on time, in line, and always believing they could win.

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