In Memory: Mary Humphrey, Age 98
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Mary Humphrey on Saturday, July 13, 2024 at the age of 98 years old. Mary was born in New York, NY on May 26, 1926 to Henry and Rose Betz.
Mary grew up in the Bronx and attended Tolentine Catholic School from elementary school through high school. She graduated from the College of New Rochelle and received her master’s degree years later.
Her love of books led her to jobs at Doubleday Book Shops, G.P. Putnam’s (as an editor and production assistant), and Pocketbooks where she focused on the new world of bringing successful hardcovers to a new audience as inexpensive paperbacks. She taught high school English classes at Bedford Park Academy in the Bronx, was the writing consultant for the four elementary schools in the Mamaroneck School District and returned to the Bronx as a high school English teacher at the Academy of Mt. St. Ursula. She taught English courses at Fordham University and was awarded the Bene Merenti medal in 2009.
Mary enrolled in Fordham’s School of General Studies for an evening Spanish class where she met Harvey Humphrey, her future husband of almost 60 years. They were married on May 25,1963 and shared a love of music, literature, and classic movies. They welcomed twins, Mary and Elisabeth and daughter Emily two years later. Harvey passed away in 2021 at 96 years of age.
Mary was a devoted wife, loving mother, and proud grandmother to seven grandsons: James, Franklin, John, Luke and Thomas Goldszer of Rye, Yves Philippe of Miami and Matthew Kayser of Bedford. We are so very fortunate to have been blessed with her wisdom, kindness, and love for so many years, and she will be forever missed.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated for Mary on Wednesday, July 17th, 10:00 AM at Church of the Resurrection at 910 Boston Post Road, Rye, NY 10580. A burial will follow at the Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Hawthorne, NY.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to Calvary Hospital.
