Mary M. Maher

Mary Maher, nee McCann, age 100, passed away peacefully on August 1, 2026 surrounded by family at Artman Lutheran Home in Ambler, PA. She was formerly of Oreland, PA and Sea Isle City, NJ.

Mary was born November 21, 1925 in Philadelphia, daughter of the late Helen and John McCann. She was predeceased by her siblings Helen Belza (the late Bob), Elizabeth McCann, and John McCann (Mary).

She was preceded in death by her beloved husband William and her children Maryanne McAdams and William, Jr. She is survived by her children Diane Burgess (John), Patricia Dollinger (Joe), Therese Sylvester (Bob), Nadine Maher (Gene Cunningham), Bernadette Flanigan (Jim), Meg Callahan (Mike), and daughter-in-law Denise Wheatley Maher.

She is also survived by 15 grandchildren and 16 great grandchildren. She was predeceased by one grandchild.

Mary’s unwavering faith and strength carried her after the death of her lifelong love in 1962, leaving her to raise eight children between the ages of 1 and 11. She maintained that although it was not always easy, she was able to raise eight successful children with the help and support of her community. She returned to work, first as a crossing guard, and then as an administrative assistant at McKinney Drilling Company where she worked for 35 years before retiring at the age of 75.

After retirement, Mary moved full time to her favorite place, Sea Isle City. She opened her door to anyone who needed a place to stay and her Sea Isle home was frequently crowded with her children and grandchildren (including many of their friends). She worked part time on the promenade and volunteered at Cape Regional Medical Center, contributing over 7200 hours of service over the years.

Mary graduated from Little Flower High School and remained an active part of the Alumni Association. She later earned her Associates degree from Spring Garden College.

A funeral mass will be held at St. Anthony’s Parish, Ambler PA on Monday, August 10th at 10:30 AM. Prior to the mass, relatives and friends are invited to her visitation at St. Anthony’s from 9:15 AM to 10:15 AM.  Interment will follow in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to one of the following charities:

Little Flower High School, 1000 W Lycoming Street, Philadelphia, PA 19140 www.littleflowerhighschool.org/ways-to-give

Tara Miller Melanoma Foundation, PO Box 3154, Margate, NJ 08402 www.taramiller.org

Artman Benevolent Care Fund, 7002 Butler Pike, Ambler PA 19002 https://artmanhome.org/giving/

Many thanks to the staff at Artman who lovingly cared for Mary.