In Memory Of
Mary (Dewey) Gardner
1927
2023
Mary (Dewey) Gardner
April 8, 1927 — January 4, 2023
Mary Jean (Dewey) Gardner passed away peacefully on January 4, 2023, at the age of 95 at Crouse Hospital.
She is survived by her loving children, Karen Gardner Cakebread of Natick, MA, and Bruce Gardner and his wife Kami of Staunton, VA; five grandsons; three great-grandchildren; her brother and his wife, Robert and Virginia Dewey of Jamesville; and many dear nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Olcott Gardner, in 1981, and her sisters Corinne Dewey Ceglia and Margaret Dewey Wood.
Mary Jean ("Mem" to family and close friends) was born on April 8, 1927, in Arvida, Quebec, to Frank and Helen Dewey, while Frank was working in Canada for Alcoa. Returning to the North Country at age two, she grew up in Massena, NY. In high school she was elected president of her senior class. She graduated from nursing school at Crouse (then Crouse-Irving) Hospital, where she began her career as an operating-room nurse. While raising a family, she would volunteer on surgical cases, eventually working at what is now named the William Clark Burn Unit at Upstate Medical Center. In 1998 she was recognized by that hospital for her many years of service as a surgical nurse.
Mem looked at every day as an adventure. She loved the Adirondacks and spent summers camping with her extended family in the Saranac Lake area. She developed a passion for adventure travel and took far-flung hiking, sailing, and rafting trips to New Zealand and Australia, Alaska, Europe, the Caribbean, and throughout North America. A doting and loving mother and grandmother, she took joy in watching her active family grow and play sports like soccer, basketball, baseball, and hockey. Recently, she could be seen walking around Green Lakes or strolling through the town of Manlius. She enjoyed life, talking to strangers, and making new friends. You will see her in the sparkles of sunrises.
A memorial service will be held at DeWitt Community Church on March 25, 2023, at 2:00 pm. Donations in Mary Jean's memory can be made to DeWitt Community Church, where she was a member of the choir for over 60 years.
She is survived by her loving children, Karen Gardner Cakebread of Natick, MA, and Bruce Gardner and his wife Kami of Staunton, VA; five grandsons; three great-grandchildren; her brother and his wife, Robert and Virginia Dewey of Jamesville; and many dear nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Olcott Gardner, in 1981, and her sisters Corinne Dewey Ceglia and Margaret Dewey Wood.
Mary Jean ("Mem" to family and close friends) was born on April 8, 1927, in Arvida, Quebec, to Frank and Helen Dewey, while Frank was working in Canada for Alcoa. Returning to the North Country at age two, she grew up in Massena, NY. In high school she was elected president of her senior class. She graduated from nursing school at Crouse (then Crouse-Irving) Hospital, where she began her career as an operating-room nurse. While raising a family, she would volunteer on surgical cases, eventually working at what is now named the William Clark Burn Unit at Upstate Medical Center. In 1998 she was recognized by that hospital for her many years of service as a surgical nurse.
Mem looked at every day as an adventure. She loved the Adirondacks and spent summers camping with her extended family in the Saranac Lake area. She developed a passion for adventure travel and took far-flung hiking, sailing, and rafting trips to New Zealand and Australia, Alaska, Europe, the Caribbean, and throughout North America. A doting and loving mother and grandmother, she took joy in watching her active family grow and play sports like soccer, basketball, baseball, and hockey. Recently, she could be seen walking around Green Lakes or strolling through the town of Manlius. She enjoyed life, talking to strangers, and making new friends. You will see her in the sparkles of sunrises.
A memorial service will be held at DeWitt Community Church on March 25, 2023, at 2:00 pm. Donations in Mary Jean's memory can be made to DeWitt Community Church, where she was a member of the choir for over 60 years.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Mary (Dewey) Gardner, please visit our flower store.
Service Schedule
Past Services
Memorial Service
Saturday, March 25, 2023
Starts at 2:00 pm (Eastern time)
DeWitt Community Church
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