Mary Jane Van Opdorp

Mary Jane (Sculley) Van Opdorp Registered nurse Geneva - Mary Jane (Sculley) Van Opdorp, R.N. passed away peacefully, after a long illness, on Sept. 14, 2008 at Monroe Community Hospital in Rochester. Friends and family may call Wednesday, October 1, from 4 to 7 p.m. at McGuigan Funeral Home, 45 High St., Geneva. A funeral Mass will be celebrated Thursday, October 2, at 1 p.m. at St. Stephen's Roman Catholic Church, 48 Pulteney St., Geneva. A memorial reception will be held immediately following at the Pier House Restaurant at the Ramada Inn, 41 Lake Front Dr., Geneva. An interment ceremony, alongside her husband, at Arlington National Cemetery is scheduled for Monday, October 6, at 9 a.m. She was predeceased by her sister, Wilma; and parents, James and Hilda (Fritz) Sculley. She was the widow of Harold J. Van Opdorp, a former city attorney of Geneva and prominent specialist in municipal law, who passed away in 1999. After their marriage in 1951, Mrs. Van Opdorp resided for most of the remainder of her life in Geneva. She is survived by her five children, Marcia (Bucky) Sanders of Rochester, James of Phoenix, Ariz., Marc and Martin of Reston, Va. and Peter of Geneva; brother, James (Mary/Mimi) Sculley of Mount Pleasant, S.C.; three grandchildren, Chris (Heather), Melanie, and Andrew Van Opdorp of Florida; one great-grandson, Tyler James; nieces and nephews; daughter-in-law, Angelika of Boca Raton Fla.; former sons-in-law, Walter (Wes) Richardson of Canandaigua and William (Billy) deRoo of Yuma, Ariz. Mary Jane was born Aug. 16, 1925 in Rochester. She was a graduate of Keuka College with a bachelor's degree in nursing. She worked in a variety of settings, including Chelsea Naval Hospital in Boston; as a community nurse in Appalachia; and eventually became a head nurse at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester. She also taught practical nursing at the Finger Lakes BOCES center in Flint. She served as a substitute school nurse in the Geneva city schools. She also served as vice president and secretary of Municipal Consultants and Publishers, Inc., her husband's small publishing enterprise, which enabled her to travel across New York State. Mary Jane was a devout believer in her Roman Catholic faith. She remained active in St. Stephen's Church and the small Christian community there until recently. In the past, she also served on the parish council and the Mothers Club. She was also involved for several years in the Alex Campbell Book Club, League of Woman Voters, Military Officers Association, Catholic Nurses Association of Geneva and Keuka College Alumni Association. Mary Jane's interests included community service, volunteer work, reading, gardening, cooking and especially her extensive world travel. Thanks to the military Space Available program, Mary Jane and her husband were able to travel overseas about 25 times to Europe, Alaska, Hawaii and later Japan and South Korea to visit her son Martin. Her last major adventure took her to Thailand with her son and included visits to Bangkok, the seaside resort of Phuk and a train ride to the celebrated bridge over the River Kwai. Mary Jane relished every moment of her travels.