Mary M. Loeser

Mary Elizabeth Loeser (nee Mogileff) of Cranford, NJ, died on the morning of Tuesday, November 27, 2018 at Brighton Gardens of Mountainside, NJ, after a period of declining health. She was 92 years old.

Mary was born October 14, 1926 in Newark, NJ. Her father (Jacob Mogileff) was a Russian immigrant, and her mother (Mary Smolsky) was of Slovakian/Lithuanian background. Mary grew up in Elizabeth, NJ, where she and her family attended the Second Presbyterian Church of Elizabeth. She graduated from Battin High School in 1944, where she played violin in the orchestra and was a member of the Modern Fiction Club.

As a young adult, she was a singer in the Y knots musical players group associated with the YWCA of Elizabeth. A skilled typist and stenographer, she was first employed by Liberty National Airport of Newark, NJ, during the last year of World War II. She then worked for the Standard Oil Corporation, first in Linden NJ and later at the corporate headquarters in the empire state building of NYC.

In 1953 she married Harry Loeser, and settled in Cranford, NJ. She became a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Cranford, where she was a member of the church choir and served as deacon for several years. Having an interest in biblical archaeology, she participated in an educational trip to Egypt, Jordan, and Israel with other members of the Church. For many years she was an active member of the Cranford PTA bowling league. Other interests included gardening, baking, taking vacation/family photos, opera, and bird watching. Always interested in learning new things, she took several night classes at Union County College of Cranford in subjects such as history, astronomy, and archaeology. She was a fan of PBS television mysteries, soap operas, horse racing, and crossword puzzles. She loved her family, and always looked forward to family gatherings and decorating the house for birthday celebrations, holidays, and special events.

Mary is survived by her husband of 65 years (Harry) and three sons (Carl, Neil, and Eric), three grandchildren (Peter, Laura, and Abigail), and four great grandchildren. She was predeceased by a daughter (June) and sister (Lillian Buehler).

There will be a viewing at Gray's Funeral home in Cranford, NJ, from 4 to 8 pm on Sunday, December 2nd, and the funeral service will be at 11 am on Monday, December 3rd.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Memorial Fund of the First Presbyterian Church of Cranford, NJ.