Mary E. (Conley) Stemple

MARY E. STEMPLE, A LIFE LONG RESIDENT OF NORRISTOWN, PA, PASSED AWAY PEACEFULLY ON SATURDAY, MARCH 19, 2011 AT FORWOOD MANOR HEALTH CENTER, WILMINGTON, DE. MRS. STEMPLE, THE FORMER MARY ELIZABETH CONLEY WAS BORN IN NORRISTOWN, ON SEPTEMBER 21, 1920, THE ELDEST DAUGHTER OF THE LATE RICHARD AND MARY (REILLY) CONLEY. SHE PROUDLY ATTENDED ST. FRANCIS AND ST. PATRICK'S SCHOOLS, GRADUATING FROM NORRISTOWN HIGH SCHOOL IN 1938. SHE RECEIVED A SCHOLARSHIP TO IMMACULATA COLLEGE GRADUATING IN 1942. MRS. STEMPLE BEGAN TEACHING AT SWAMP CREEK SCHOOL, A ONE-ROOM SCHOOL IN NEW HANOVER TOWNSHIP, PA. IN 1944, MARY ENTERED THE US COAST GUARD AND WAS STATIONED AT THE US COAST GUARD ACADEMY IN NEW LONDON CT, WORKING AS A STATISTICIAN IN THE PSYCHOLOGY DEPARTMENT. MRS. STEMPLE MARRIED HER FORMER HUSBAND, JAMES R. STEMPLE, AT THE ACADEMY IN 1945. SHE WAS DISCHARGED FROM THE SERVICE IN LONG BEACH, CA AND WORKED FOR THE RED CROSS BEFORE RETURNING TO NORRISTOWN. SHE RESUMED TEACHING ELEMENTARY GRADES IN SCHWENKSVILLE, WEST NORRITON, AND NORRISTOWN. SHE EARNED HER MASTER'S DEGREE ON THE GI BILL FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA. SHE ALSO STUDIED AT PENN STATE AND VILLANOVA. MARY WAS THE PRINCIPAL OF BURNSIDE AND PAUL V. FLY ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS FROM 1969 TO 1982 WHEN SHE RETIRED. MARY IS SURVIVED BY HER LOVING FAMILY INCLUDING TWO DAUGHTERS, MARY LOUISE COBOURN AND HER HUSBAND, TOM, OF WILMINGTON, DE AND A. CHRISTINE MEAGHER AND HER HUSBAND, BERNARD OF KIMBERTON, PA; 4 GRANDCHILDREN: ANNE LOUISE COBOURN, JACK COBOURN, JAMES BREWER AND ANDREW MEAGHER; SISTER-IN-LAW, CATHERINE CONLEY; AND 12 NIECES AND NEPHEWS. SHE IS PRECEEDED IN DEATH BY HER BROTHER, RICHARD CONLEY, AND TWO SISTERS AND THEIR HUSBANDS, ELEANOR AND JOE HAYES, AND NANCY AND TONY PIAZZA. RELATIVES AND FRIENDS ARE INVITED TO HER FUNERAL MASS AT ST. PATRICK'S CHURCH, 714 DEKALB ST., NORRISTOWN, PA 19401 ON WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23, 2011 AT 10:00AM. INTERMENT WILL BE IN ST. PATRICK'S CEMETERY, E. NORRITON, PA. HER VIEWING WILL BE WEDNESDAY MORNING FROM 9 TO 9:50AM, AT THE CHURCH. IN LIEU OF FLOWERS, THE FAMILY REQUESTS DONATIONS IN MRS STEMPLE'S MEMORY TO VILLA MARIA ACADEMY, 370 OLD LINCON HIGHWAY, MALVERN, PA 19355.ARRANGEMENTS ARE BY THE BACCHI FUNERAL HOME & CREMATORY, LTD., BRIDGEPORT, PA 19405 WWW.BACCHIFUNERALHOME.COM