Obituary of Mary Jane Ewart

Ewart, Mary Jane, Altamont, N.Y.

Mary Jane passed away in the early morning hours of Monday, September 11, 2023, with her children holding her hands.   

She was 102 years old.

Mary was preceded in death by her parents, The Reverend Robert Lewis and Mrs. Gwladys Rhyffith Williams, as well as her beloved husband Dr. Mervyn Henry Ewart.   Mary was also predeceased by her brother, Lewis John Williams.  She is survived by her daughter Margaret, Son Robert (Julie) and grandchildren; Melissa, Anne and Michael.

Mary was a woman ahead of her time.   She was passionate and caring, and influenced the lives of many people.  Mary believed everyone deserved peace and justice, and throughout her life, she worked to support those in need.        

Mary was born in Slatington, Pennsylvania, on January 5, 1921, the town to which her father emigrated from Wales.  The family moved to Ohio to answer her father’s ministry call when Mary was still a child.  Then, when Mary was eight years old, her father was called to Carroll, Nebraska, to minister to another community.   It was a difficult transition for Mary, because in Ohio, they had running water and electricity, but in Nebraska, they had neither.   Still, Mary came to love her new home, and her family lived in Carroll until she graduated from high school as valedictorian in 1938.

Following High School, Mary attended Hastings College, graduating in 1942.  After Graduation, she taught for a year before enrolling in Case Western University to pursue a Masters in Nursing Education.  Specializing in Tuberculosis Nursing, she worked in a TB Sanitarium and taught at Yale University and later at Albany Medical Center.  Her career led her to work for the National League of Nursing and to rise to Bureau Chief in the NYS Education Department.  In this role, Mary traveled all over the world to learn about the educational systems of other countries.

Mary was a Welsh speaker, and was active in the Welsh Society.   She was active in, and president of the P.E.O. Sisterhood, an organization which supports and promotes education for women around the world.  She was Moderator of the Albany Presbytery, the governing body for all the Presbyterian Churches in the region, and Clerk of Session at the Presbyterian Church of New Scotland for many years.  She was a loving mother and wife, pursuing all she did with great passion.   Mary will live on in the hearts and lives of the many people she loved, touched and supported.

Mary Jane’s funeral will be at the Presbyterian Church in New Scotland, NY, at 2010 New Scotland Road in Slingerlands, NY, at 11am on Saturday, September 16, 2023.  In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the P.E.O. Sisterhood International Peace Scholarship at 288 New Road, Nassau, NY, 12123, or the Presbyterian Church in New Scotland.