Obituary of Mary L. Gleason

Mary L. Gleason, age 89, of Mahwah passed away on Friday, February 28, 2020. She died peacefully in the comfort of her home surrounded by her family and blanketed in love. Mary was predeceased by her husband, Martin A. Gleason Jr. in 2016. She is survived by her four loving children, Jeanne (Armando), Martin (Patricia), Thomas (Lori) and Louise (John), three adoring grandchildren, Christina (William), Jack and Liam; two great grandchildren, Elizabeth Grace and Brody Matthew, her brother, Jerry (Connie) and a loving niece and two nephews. Mary was born and raised in Syracuse, NY. She attended Lemoyne College. It was there, in the Glee Club, that she met the love of her life, Martin. She earned her Masters’ Degree in Education from Syracuse University and went on to teach Third Grade. She was married in 1955 and subsequently moved to Whitestone, NY where she raised her family. In 2000, upon Martin’s retirement from the family business, they relocated to Mahwah, NJ. For 20 years she loved this home, building numerous caring friendships and creating countless wonderful gatherings and memories with family and friends. Mary was an intelligent, wise, witty and loving person. Her positivity and desire to see the very best in people was an inspiration. To her children and grand-children she was a tireless fan and cheerleader, enthusiastically celebrating every event and accomplishment. She was an avid reader, chess player, painter and developed a love and passion for playing bridge. She played bridge frequently for many years and while she greatly enjoyed the game itself, it was the many wonderful friendships she developed along the way that she came to cherish and be most grateful for. Mary always said, “everyone has a story” and she had the beautiful gift of drawing out the stories of people she met from every walk of life. She will be missed terribly. Services for Mary are private. Arrangements by the Vander Plaat Funeral Home of Wyckoff, www.vpfh.com. Memorial contributions in Mary’s memory may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, www.stjude.org/memorial, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.