Mary Ann E. Zeidler

1940 - 2015

Mary Ann E. Zeidler, 75, formerly of Montoursville, passed away Monday, Feb. 23, 2015, at SECU Hospice House of Brunswick County, Bolivia, N.C., after a 19 year battle with carcinoid syndrome.
Born Jan. 17, 1940, in Philadelphia, Mary Ann was the first daughter of David and Marie Parsons.
Mary Ann was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 57 years, Gerard "Jerry" Zeidler Sr., in 2014, and is survived by a sister, Geraldine McCollough, of Drexel Hill; daughters: Geralyn Huey, of Oak Island, N.C., Donna Howey, of Cogan Station, Stacie Lakatos, of Williamsport; and son, Gerard Jr., of Bloomsburg; as well as 13 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Mary Ann and Jerry were wed in Philadelphia, and lived in San Diego, Calif., Philadelphia, Rockton, Williamsport and Montoursville. She loved to travel, having visited such destinations as Alaska, Hawaii, Nova Scotia, Austria, Italy, Singapore, Thailand, China, Kenya, and the Caribbean.
Mary Ann was a stay-at-home mom while her children were young, but later embraced her entrepreneurial spirit by becoming a highly successful independent affiliate of Christmas Around the World, House of Lloyd, and Dove Chocolate direct sales programs, and once opened a Santa Surplus retail store. Mary Ann loved all things that grow. She enjoyed membership in garden clubs, attained Master Gardener status, founded a local Herb Guild, opened a small herb shop, which she named Herbs Spice & Everything Nice, and gave presentations to garden clubs and similar organizations on biblical references to uses of herbs.
MaryAnn's faith as a Christian was very important to her, and she devoted much time and energy into serving others. She volunteered to serve food to the needy at St. Anthony's Center in Williamsport, founded an organization called Helping Hands which was devoted to assisting the elderly with chores they could no longer do for themselves. She was a member of the Trinity Assembly of God church in Montoursville, and strongly supported the Messianic Jewish Alliance of America. Because of the rarity of carcinoid syndrome, little research has been done on the disease. Mary Ann supported carcinoid research, having participated in experimental carcinoid drug therapy trials, and donating her remains for carcinoid research with the hope that medical science will uncover new discoveries which may help future patients.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that friends consider a donation to organizations Mary Ann cared about most: Messianic Jewish Alliance of America, PO Box 274, Springfield, PA 19064, Carcinoid Cancer Foundation, 333 Mamaroneck Avenue #492, White Plains, NY 10605, and the Lower Cape Fear Hospice Foundation, 1414 Physician Dr., Wilmington, NC 28401.
A memorial service will be held at a later date.