Mary Brendel

Mary Brendel of Bethlehem, PA and Fort Myers, FL.

Mary, the daughter of the late Daniel and Gertrude (Conville) Campbell, was

born July 1, 1928 in Mt. Carmel, PA. She was a member of SS. Simon and Jude

Catholic Church in Bethlehem and for many years attended mass each morning.

Mary was a 1950 graduate of Penn State University earning a BS Degree in

Biology and Elementary Education. She taught fourth grade in suburban

Philadelphia before she was married.

Mary's energy and intellectual curiosity prompted her to be an active,

concerned, and caring member of each community in which she lived. In

Bethlehem, PA, her primary residence, she served as a member of the Board of

Directors and the Executive Committee of the following organizations:

American Association of University Women, Senior Citizens of Bethlehem,

Lehigh Valley Unit of the American Cancer Society and the YWCA of Bethlehem.

She also served for several years as a Chairperson of the American Cancer

Society's Annual "Boutique at the Rink" fund raiser which in its 25 plus

years raised well over $1,000,000 for the American Cancer Society.

In Fort Myers, FL, where she and her husband resided during the past 12

winters, she played golf and bridge and belonged to the book club and the

Friday Club at Fiddlesticks Country Club where they resided. Mary and her

husband, Bob, were also volunteers at the Fort Myers Manor Care rehab and

nursing home where she visited with those who did not have any family or

visitors. She often talked to her family about these men and women who

became a part of her life, and she often inspired them to play a game of gin

or laugh along to one of her 100's of jokes. Sometimes Mary played the piano

and sang for an audience in the main day room where she filled the space

with the music of their generation.

Mary always had a smile and a hug for every person she met and listened with

great attention to all those who were fortunate enough to know her. She

supported, cared for, and served many people in need of love and kindness

through the course of her life, visiting, phoning, and writing to them

sometimes for many years. She was a lifeline for many, some acquaintances

and some close friends, meeting them for weekly lunches and dinners. Her

husband, children, and grandchildren will always remember her deep and

abiding love and interest in anything having to do with family. Her laughter

and sense of fun made her an energetic companion for any

adventure - shopping for antiques or clothes (she loved bright colors,

especially orange) or going to a museum, concert, play, or dinner.

She was always ready for a game of any sort whether cards, quoits, or paddle

tennis. She played golf with passion and joy, still working on her putting

and chipping until she was 84 years old! She was an expert bridge player who

loved the community, competition, and intellectual challenge of the game and

played in two bridge clubs until she became ill at 84. Her lifelong love of

learning made her an avid reader and studier of all that interested her.

Her family remembers her eating lunch each day while reading a book of

history or politics or art. Her home in Bethlehem, in which she lived for 53

years, was carefully decorated by her over many years with antiques and art

that reflected who she was and how she saw the world. Many days after school

her children came home to her playing Tchaikovsky or Mozart on the piano and

sometimes playing and singing "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling". She filled

every space she entered with light and happiness.

Mary will be dearly missed by her husband Bob; they celebrated their 61st

anniversary on May 3, 2013 and her son Robert J. Brendel, Jr. of Delaware,

daughters, Katie Brendel Hearn of Stewartstown, PA and Evelyn Jennes of

Aerdenhout, Netherlands, and her five grandchildren, Anna Lou, Campbell,

Everie, Elies, and Ella. She was preceded in death by her sister Catherine

Campbell Fischer.

Arrangements have been entrusted to The Connell Funeral Home. A Mass of

Christian Burial will be held on Thursday, September 19 at 1:00 PM at SS. Simon

and Jude Catholic Church 730 W. Broad St. Bethlehem, PA 18018. A reception

at Saucon Valley Country Club in Center Valley, PA will be held immediately

following the funeral mass.

In January, 2014, a reception will be held at Fiddlesticks Country Club in

Fort Meyers, FL. This date will be announced later this fall via the local

newspaper and email.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the American Cancer Society

P.O. Box 22718 Oklahoma City, OK 73123-1718 or Catholic Relief Services

P.O. Box 17090 Baltimore, MD 21297-0303.

Mass of Christian Burial
Thursday, September 19, 2013
1:00 PM
SS Simon & Jude Catholic Church
730 W. Broad St.
Bethlehem PA 18018
US

Funeral HomeConnell Funeral Home, Inc.
245 East Broad St.
Bethlehem PA - 18018
US
610-868-8531