Mary J. Vermilya

Mary Jean (Stone) Vermilya, age 91, formerly of Canton, passed away Tuesday, November 9th, at Country Meadows in Wyomissing, PA.  Mary was born at the Cora Ross Maternity Home in Canton, PA on March 25, 1930, to Maude and Tracy Stone.

Mary attended Canton High School and after graduating as Valedictorian of her Class of 1947, she went to New York City to attend the Laboratory Institute, returning to Canton in 1950.  She began employment at the Troy Medical Center in 1952, where she worked for 40 years, retiring in 1992. She always said that there is no greater joy than having an occupation you love and spending your lifetime in service to others.  In 1960, she married Frank "Ed" Vermilya and they shared 48 years of marriage together until his death September 28, 2008.  They traveled throughout the United States after retirement and spent ten years in Florida being "winter snow birds".

Mary liked vacationing with her two daughters and together they enjoyed cruising to Bermuda, the Caribbean and Hawaii.  One trip forever in her memory was in 1989 with her daughter, Cheryl, when they flew to Tahiti and took a sailing ship around the Polynesian islands.

Music in the church was a very important part of Mary's life. She sang in the choir and served as a Deacon and Elder for many years at the Church of Christ in Canton.

She was a life member of the Order of the Eastern Star, serving as Worthy Matron in 1963. Mary was active in the Canton Music Club for over 40 years. After retirement, she was a hospice volunteer for Guthrie Clinic for 10 years.

Surviving Mary are her daughters Cheryl (Jerry) Sims, Reading PA and Maribeth Endress, Bloomsburg PA; stepdaughter, Cindy English, Stroudsburg PA; grandchildren: Bill (Donna) Sims, Dillsburg, PA; Mindy (Kevin) Andreyo, Reading, PA; Olivia (Kyle) Veen, Bloomsburg, PA; step-grandchildren: Wesley (Beth) English, East Stroudsburg, PA; Samantha (Manny) Varkanis, Stroudsburg, PA; nine Grandchildren and several nieces and nephews and cousins. She was predeceased by her husband Frank Edgar Vermilya, brother Tracey Stone, stepdaughter Diane Disbrow, and Dave English, step-son-in-law.

Services will be private at the convenience of the family. Kuhn Funeral Home & Crematory Inc., 5153 Kutztown Rd., Temple, PA 19560, is entrusted with the arrangements. Condolences may be expressed at www.kuhnfuneralhomes.com. In lieu of flowers, contributions in memory of Mary should be directed to Canton Church of Christ Building Fund, 170 N Minnequa Ave, Canton, PA 17724.