Obituary of Mary Elizabeth Pace

Mary Elizabeth (nee Martyn) Pace, age 86, of Garnet Valley, passed away on October 22, 2024 surrounded by family. She was born to Miriam and Bill Martyn and had seven siblings. While growing up at 7th and Venango Streets in Philadelphia, her father worked at Publicker Industries, producers of liquor and industrial alcohols, and her mother was a homemaker. Her family lived on the same block as the local pharmacist, who was also her uncle. !f someone was sick, they would go to his and Aunt Marie's house to be treated. Her parents would hold weekly card games at the house and the entire family was invited. These gatherings always included great food and drink. There was also a piano in their house and Mary enjoyed playing the piano and singing. She attended twelve years of Catholic school, including Little Flower High School. After high school she had a secretarial job. Mary and her husband got their first home in Philadelphia and had their first two children there. They then took the giant leap to move to the suburb of Folcroft. The mortgage for their first house was $97 a month. They completed their family in Folcroft.

Mary volunteered for her parish in Norwood, St. Gabriel's Church's Silver Lining, a volunteer agency. She was involved in her children's sports clubs, running the snack bar, and fundraising. Every morning she would sing and listen to WIP on the radio while making breakfast and packing lunches for the family. She canned the vegetables that her husband grew and would make all her own food. Every Christmas Mary would take the children to Wanamaker's Department Store on Broad and Market Streets in Philadelphia for "Breakfast with Santa Claus." There they enjoyed the light show, the joyful organ music, Toy Land, and sitting on Santa's lap.

Mary was very community oriented. She was the "paper route lady" in the neighborhood. All the papers would get dropped off at her house and she would distribute them to the neighborhood kids delivering them. She was focused on civic duty and active in local politics in Folcroft. One of her tasks was getting people registered to vote. She belonged to a walking club with her friends, and they would walk around the neighborhood and at a nearby track. She was also the "mass card lady" to those who were in need.

Mary was very religious and had very strong faith. She took her children to Church every Sunday making sure they received their sacraments. She would fill the Church with her lovely singing voice. Mary toured parts of Europe and visited the Vatican. When Pope John Paul II came to Philadelphia in 1979 she made sure her kids were part of the history.

As her children got older Mary worked several jobs. She worked at Merry Maids, Burger King, and Century 21 Real Estate where she was an administrative assistant. The Century 21 office was inside the Springfield Mall and Mary experienced the Sylvia Seegrist mass shooting in 1985. Mary retired from her position as an administrative assistant for the head of the library at the University of the Sciences, previously known as Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science.

In her 50's and 60's, Mary really blossomed, She would go to the movies, casinos, and dinners with her girlfriends. She traveled extensively with her brothers and sisters to places as varied as Las Vegas, Alaska, the Panama Canal, Hawaii, Canada, and the Caribbean. She always liked going out to dinner and trying different foods. Crab cakes are her favorite. She also loved the movies, especially whodunnits and cop shows. Her favorite movie was the John Wayne romance movie, "The Quiet Man." She loved music, all kinds, including the music her children listened to! These included styles as different as Big Band, Pavarotti, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Kenny Rogers, and Willie Nelson. Fifties be-bop is her favorite, and she would do a dance to it called "The Stroll". She always loved to read. She loved romance novels, and her favorite book was "The Wolf and the Dove" by Kathleen Woodiwiss. Her favorite colors were mauve, purple, and dusty rose.

She was very proud of her six children. They all became hardworking and successful adults; they all got married and had children; and, most importantly, they are all good people. Mary has always embraced and loved life. Her love of life and her practicality are the two traits that will define her legacy. She is a woman who was always able to find joy and happiness in life, turning bad situations into good!

In addition to her parents, Mary is preceded in death by her siblings, William, Father George, Jim, and John Martyn. She is survived by her beloved six children, Michael (Catharine) Pace, Rocco (Carol) Pace, Thomas (Donna) Pace, Robert (Doreen) Pace, Patricia (John) Taffe, and Susan (David) Bachor, siblings, Joseph (Elizabeth) Martyn, Thomas (Patricia) Martyn, and Catherine (Robert) Pezzano, as well as 18 grandchildren, and 15 great-grandchildren.

A visitation will take place on Thursday, October 24, at St. Gabriel Catholic Church, 233 Mohawk Ave, Norwood, PA from 9:30-10:45am followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 11am. Interment will be private. Condolence may be made by visiting www.paganofuneralhome.com.