Mary ECKHERT

ECKHERT - Mary (nee Hoffman)

Passed away peacefully, at the age of 95, at Clark Manor in Canandaigua, on Tuesday, June 19, 2012, after a long and wonderful life. She was born and raised in Buffalo, the daughter of William and Lily (Haarer) Hoffman. She graduated from Buffalo State College and taught third grade in Alfred, NY for four years. She married her beloved George in 1942 and they made their home in Buffalo and later in Snyder. She was concerned for the well being of everyone she encountered and spent countless hours in service to others. She was active in a number of volunteer organizations including the Women's Board of the Deaconess Hospital, Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, and at several nursing homes in Buffalo. She was always there to offer her help to anyone in need, and her attention to the feelings of others earned her the love and respect of all who knew her. Most of all, she loved her family, especially George, her husband of 65 years. She was a devoted and loving mother. Her patient listening, gentle encouragement and unconditional love were blessings to her family, and she taught her children kindness and compassion by the way she treated others. Her patience, wisdom, and grace will be dearly missed by all who knew her. She is survived by her three children, George (Neisha) Eckhert Jr., Philip Eckhert (Sheri Brenden), and Sandra Eckhert (Steven Rich); seven grandchildren, William, Katherine, Carl, Emma, Brian, Allison, and Sarah; one great-grandchild, Aadam; and many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her husband, George Eckhert in 2007; brother, William Hoffman Jr.; and three sisters, Sophie Dunman, Grace Blackwell and Ruth Dunbar. There will be no calling hours. A celebration of her life will be held Thursday, June 28 at 11:00 a.m. at the First United Methodist Church, 100 North Main St., Canandaigua. Interment will be in Woodlawn Cemetery, Canandaigua. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Juvenile Diabetes Association, 1200 Scottsville Rd. #A, Rochester, NY 14624-5701, the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, 5008 Brittonfield Parkway, Suite 300, East Syracuse, NY 13057 or the Autism Society of America, 4340 East-West Hwy, Suite 350, Bethesda, MD 20814. Arrangements are by Johnson-Kennedy Funeral Home, Inc., Canandaigua. Condolences may be offered at www.johnsonkennedy.com.