Mary Castellion

Mary Esther Schotland Castellion, aged 77, passed away peacefully after an extended illness with Alzheimer's on September 23, 2010. Mary was a resident of the Golden Hill neighborhood of South Norwalk, CT; prior to this she resided in Stamford, CT for 24 years. Mary was born and raised in Elizabeth, New Jersey; her parents were Elizabeth and Sidney Schotland.

Mary graduated from the University of Rochester where she developed her passion for science and writing. After graduation she worked for a year as an editorial assistant at the Journal of the American Chemical Society. This work led to an opportunity to be a co-author of a textbook Fundamentals of General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry. The sixth edition of this textbook was released in 2010 by Prentice Hall, marking 32 years of publication. Mary's work on this book led to a long and vibrant career in the science textbook industry. Always working from home and working for a variety of major publishing houses, Mary was known for her attention to details, genuine and sincere interest in learning, and a dedication to ensuring that the reader understood what the authors intended.

Her passion to learn and accurately write to present topics to her readers, combined with her ability to work with the various professors, and come to a consensus led to a branch in her career as a “textbook doctor”. She assisted publishers in bringing complicated projects to fruition. In addition, she had leadership roles in both the local and national chapters of the American Chemical Society and was a member of the National Association of Science Writers (NASW).

Throughout her adult life she embraced and celebrated music and art. Mary played clarinet for both the Darien Band and the Norwalk Symphony. Her children have wonderful memories of many July 4th celebrations spent watching Mom play at the band stand in Darien. Mary was dedicated to supporting the mission of the Norwalk Symphony where she served as President of their Board of Directors for many years.

Mary was predeceased by her beloved partner, Carl Jacobs in 1993. Her son Lee Castellion, his wife Diana, and their daughter Caitlyn of Denver, Colorado, and Mary's daughter Nina Castellion of Boston, MA survive Mary Castellion. She is also survived by many cousins descending from her mother's large family who made the United States their home after leaving Ireland.

A gathering of friends and family to honor Mary Castellion's life will be held in the spring in Norwalk, CT.

For condolences and information on this celebration please email inmemoryofmary@castellion.org

Contributions in Mary E. Castellion's memory may be made to the Norwalk Symphony, 1 Park St., Norwalk, CT, 06851 or at http://www.norwalksymphony.org/make-a-donation.html