Obituary of Mary Waldron

With profound sadness, we announce the passing of Mary Waldron; loving and vibrant mother, grandmother and friend to all whose lives she touched.  Mary died peacefully on October 26, 2019 surrounded by her family.

She was one of five children and is survived by her sisters Kate and Helen and sister-in-law Kristen, wife of her late brother Phil.  Her brother Brendan, his wife Treva and brother-in-law John are also deceased.
 

Mary and her deceased husband Jack were loving parents to six children and their spouses, Deirdre and Declan Power; Eileen and Andrew Lux; Peg and Gregg DePhillips; Thomas and Melissa Waldron; John and Anne Waldron; and Gretchen and Bart Savino.

Mary’s pride and joy were her 15 grandchildren who called her Grandy. From oldest to youngest: Sarah, Aisling, Kevin, Aidan, Zac, Abigail, Kieran, Mary, Grace, Megan, Natalie, Meredith, Sophia, Brady, and Hannah.
 

So it is quite fitting that one of her last great events was her role as the most effervescent flower girl for her grandchild Sarah Lux Clancy’s wedding on August 10, 2019.  Shown in the picture above, you can see she performed her duties with her usual joie de vivre.  Such was her great spirit that she talked about reprising the role for all of her grandchildren. 

Mary was a dynamic woman with a zest for life. If you invited her to travel she was already packing her bags.  When not traveling, you could find her walking the streets of Manhattan with tickets in her hand for any show she could attend. Ask Mary if she wanted to try something new, her answer would be an enthusiastic YES!  She started painting in recent years and organized a writing workshop for her friends.  Mary made you feel welcomed and loved in her presence. She was the first to start laughing and the last to stop. 

Her lessons for all of us were many:  There is always room for more laughter; Travel, and adventure are two of the best teachers; Salt and butter make (pretty much) everything taste better; There is always room for chocolate; and life deserves to be celebrated and that dessert can certainly come before dinner.

She had a lifelong passion for art and music which she introduced to her grandchildren through an annual Broadway show each Thanksgiving. Mary spent the recent years composing her autobiography and upon reading the introduction after her death we learned that she felt that she had lived a “magical and miraculous” life.  We could not agree more and will publish it for all to relish in her life’s adventures.
 

A celebration of life is planned on November 16, 2019 at The Club House at 8 Tamaron Drive in Waldwick NJ for family and friends from 3-7pm. A tribute will be given at 5pm. In lieu of flowers, donations can go to either the Jewish Women’s International Flower Project Fund (www.jwi.org/teamgrandy) or Heifer International, Ending Hunger and Poverty: (https://fundraise.heifer.org/team/264467 #TeamGrandy)