In Memory Of
Mary C. Neville
1932
2023
Mary C. Neville
June 17, 1932 — March 14, 2023
Schenectady
Mary Carolyn Thompson Neville, born June 17, 1932, my wife of almost 70 years and my sweetheart since we were teenagers, died peacefully in her bed at Schenectady Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation on Tuesday, March 14, 2023.
As I watched her life slowly pass from her, I realized we had spent our entire adult lives together, something I felt so blessed to have shared with her, and perhaps so rare to happen today. Our two personalities matched so well we seemed to be destined to stay together for as long as life held out.
We had three children, Cathy, Rosemary, and Roy J. Neville, all surviving and living locally or in Albany.
Mary was the daughter of Adam Thompson born in Thunder Bay Ontario, Canada, and Merle Thomson of Chance Harbor, New Brunswick, Canada and Baldwin, LI. Both are deceased as is her sister, Grace Ferguson of San Anselmo C.A, who died two years ago. Grace's husband, Frank Ferguson, survives as do two children, Lilli Furgeson of San Rafael, CA., and Julie Braccini of Bozeman, MT.
Growing up, Mary was a slim, pretty red head with freckles and a quiet unassuming manner when we first met midway through high school in Baldwin, NY. She was in sports like gymnastics, had a few girlfriends and belonged to a sorority. One of my friends set us up on a first date at a living room party where she sat on my lap. We were both shy, but our attraction grew because I could make her laugh, and we wrote notes we gave to each other while passing classes.
We almost went our separate ways after graduating high school – me in 1949, and she in 1950 – as Mary was accepted at Columbia University School of Nursing, and I went off to Lehigh University. We wrote to one another and met at holiday times.
In my junior year I dropped out of college to play minor league baseball in the Brooklyn Dodgers chain and then I was drafted into the Army as the Korean War was raging in 1952. While I was stationed at Ft. Monmouth, NJ., I would take a bus and subway on weekend passes to visit her at the nursing school. We would sit and neck behind a curtain that hid the benches for guests sitting along a hallway.
By May 1952 Mary took a leave from the school so we could get married, on May 24, 1953, at the First Presbyterian Church in Baldwin. We honeymooned in a few days while on my leave at Viginia Beach, VA.
In November we had our first child, Cathy, with curly red hair. We lived off base till the Army discharged me, three months early, so I could resume playing baseball, Mary and the baby moved down with me to Newport News, VA., where I played. After the season we lived in an apartment on Long Island, and daughter Rosemary was born. We bought a house in Bay Shore and both of us finished school. In 1959 we moved to Schenectady, bought a house in Glenville and then my job changed, taking us first to Pittsburgh and then back to Schenectady to the house we have lived in for 57 years on Grand Blvd.
Son Roy was born in 1962, I had jobs with newspapers and was hired by the State Education department in the 1970's while Mary worked part time occasionally as a nurse at Ellis Hospital and Hallmark Nursing Home. We moved to Toms River, NJ., for three years, rented our house and returned here when my job gave out and our tenant left the house open.
For many years Mary and I were active with NAMI- the National alliance on mental Illness, after two of our children contracted Schizophrenia in their teenage years or just beyond. We belonged to the local, statewide and national NAMI's and devoted much of our energy to these organizations.
We maintained membership in First United Methodist Church and received loving support from so many people at the church, we are truly thankful. We also owe a debt of gratitude for all the considerate care my wife received from the staff at Schenectady Center for Nursing during her seven months there.
If you wish to send a card in remembrance of Mary, would you send to New Comer Funeral Home, 343 New Karner Rd., Colonie NY, 12205. Donations in her memory can be sent to First United Methodist church, 603 State St., Schenectady, NY 12305.
We anticipate a memorial service for Mary will be held in the church soon. There will be a viewing at the funeral home for family only. She is gone now but she will always be in my heart. (Roy E. Neville, Mary's husband)
Mary Carolyn Thompson Neville, born June 17, 1932, my wife of almost 70 years and my sweetheart since we were teenagers, died peacefully in her bed at Schenectady Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation on Tuesday, March 14, 2023.
As I watched her life slowly pass from her, I realized we had spent our entire adult lives together, something I felt so blessed to have shared with her, and perhaps so rare to happen today. Our two personalities matched so well we seemed to be destined to stay together for as long as life held out.
We had three children, Cathy, Rosemary, and Roy J. Neville, all surviving and living locally or in Albany.
Mary was the daughter of Adam Thompson born in Thunder Bay Ontario, Canada, and Merle Thomson of Chance Harbor, New Brunswick, Canada and Baldwin, LI. Both are deceased as is her sister, Grace Ferguson of San Anselmo C.A, who died two years ago. Grace's husband, Frank Ferguson, survives as do two children, Lilli Furgeson of San Rafael, CA., and Julie Braccini of Bozeman, MT.
Growing up, Mary was a slim, pretty red head with freckles and a quiet unassuming manner when we first met midway through high school in Baldwin, NY. She was in sports like gymnastics, had a few girlfriends and belonged to a sorority. One of my friends set us up on a first date at a living room party where she sat on my lap. We were both shy, but our attraction grew because I could make her laugh, and we wrote notes we gave to each other while passing classes.
We almost went our separate ways after graduating high school – me in 1949, and she in 1950 – as Mary was accepted at Columbia University School of Nursing, and I went off to Lehigh University. We wrote to one another and met at holiday times.
In my junior year I dropped out of college to play minor league baseball in the Brooklyn Dodgers chain and then I was drafted into the Army as the Korean War was raging in 1952. While I was stationed at Ft. Monmouth, NJ., I would take a bus and subway on weekend passes to visit her at the nursing school. We would sit and neck behind a curtain that hid the benches for guests sitting along a hallway.
By May 1952 Mary took a leave from the school so we could get married, on May 24, 1953, at the First Presbyterian Church in Baldwin. We honeymooned in a few days while on my leave at Viginia Beach, VA.
In November we had our first child, Cathy, with curly red hair. We lived off base till the Army discharged me, three months early, so I could resume playing baseball, Mary and the baby moved down with me to Newport News, VA., where I played. After the season we lived in an apartment on Long Island, and daughter Rosemary was born. We bought a house in Bay Shore and both of us finished school. In 1959 we moved to Schenectady, bought a house in Glenville and then my job changed, taking us first to Pittsburgh and then back to Schenectady to the house we have lived in for 57 years on Grand Blvd.
Son Roy was born in 1962, I had jobs with newspapers and was hired by the State Education department in the 1970's while Mary worked part time occasionally as a nurse at Ellis Hospital and Hallmark Nursing Home. We moved to Toms River, NJ., for three years, rented our house and returned here when my job gave out and our tenant left the house open.
For many years Mary and I were active with NAMI- the National alliance on mental Illness, after two of our children contracted Schizophrenia in their teenage years or just beyond. We belonged to the local, statewide and national NAMI's and devoted much of our energy to these organizations.
We maintained membership in First United Methodist Church and received loving support from so many people at the church, we are truly thankful. We also owe a debt of gratitude for all the considerate care my wife received from the staff at Schenectady Center for Nursing during her seven months there.
If you wish to send a card in remembrance of Mary, would you send to New Comer Funeral Home, 343 New Karner Rd., Colonie NY, 12205. Donations in her memory can be sent to First United Methodist church, 603 State St., Schenectady, NY 12305.
We anticipate a memorial service for Mary will be held in the church soon. There will be a viewing at the funeral home for family only. She is gone now but she will always be in my heart. (Roy E. Neville, Mary's husband)
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Mary C. Neville, please visit our flower store.
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