Clarkson – Mary’s adventure started on September 4, 1942, when she was born to Elinor and Rowland Greenway in Jersey City, NJ. Her family—including older brothers John and George—then moved to the Jersey Shore community of Rumson, where she spent her early formative years building life-long friendships, frolicking in the ocean, and studying dance—her lifelong passion. After forays living in Albion, Michigan, and Chagrin Falls, Ohio (where she continued her training in ballet and modern dance), she studied Modern Dance at the Universities of Wisconsin and Illinois. Fresh out of college, with her newly minted B.A., she started the next major stage of her adventure, teaching Modern Dance and choreography at Indiana University. There, she met her husband Charles, starting their 60-year adventure together. After leaving Indiana University, Mary taught Modern Dance at S.U.N.Y. Brockport for several years, and then after stints volunteering with the Brockport Ambulance Corps, working for the Harris polling organization, and serving as the President of the Brockport Symphony Board, she started a successful 20-year-plus career in real estate, retiring in 2010. Before and after retirement Mary pursued other interests. She and Charles loved traveling to such far flung places as Russia, India, and, of course, Europe. She was a talented writer and poet, loved classical music, ballet, modern dance, theater, and the Metropolitan Opera live productions at Tinseltown. Her other abiding interest was history. She was a founding member of the Clarkson Historical Society, whose first task was to save and preserve the Historic 1854 Clarkson Academy building, which was slated for demolition. She then served a number of terms as the Society’s president, where, with other members of the board, helped introduce their cursive writing and summer camp programs. She was also a member of the Brockport History Club, where she researched and presented several research papers.
Over the years, Mary and Charles were graced with their children, Katherine (Kate) and Michael (Mike), and their spouses, Reinhold Heller and Dr. Danielle Morris; three grandchildren, twin boys James and Thompson Edwards, and granddaughter, Madi Coloñ, and two great-grandchildren, Wednesday and Ev Coloñ. She was predeceased by her older brothers, Maj. Gen. John Greenway, and Col. George Greenway.
Plans for a Memorial Service will be announced at a later date. Please visit her tribute page here at www.fowlerfuneralhomeinc.com for updated information.
Donations can be made to the Clarkson Historical Society, PO Box 600, Clarkson, NY 14430 in her memory.
