Mary CRONE Obituary

CRONE - Mary Jo "Bonny"

September 25, 1942 - September 5, 2019. In a flash, Mary Jo went from a healthy and vibrant woman into the loving arms of her Lord and Savior. She left her loved ones behind shocked and grieving but none more so than her beloved daughters, Wendy and Sara. Born and raised in West Seneca, she lived much of her adult life in East Aurora. Mary Jo's was truly a life full of adventure, passion and self-determination. She saw no limits to growing up a 'girl' in the 1950s. Not even when a local McDonald's refused to hire her because of her gender. Her boldness and tenacity became evident early on as well. She attended an Elvis Presley concert as a teenager and managed to touch the shoe of the King himself! She earned a Bachelor of Science in Education from D'Youville College (1964) and a Master of Education from State University of NY at Buffalo (1970). She taught elementary school in the Orchard Park (NY) Central School District from 1964-2000. She worked at Windom Elementary where she taught 1st grade followed by South Davis Elementary, where she taught 4th grade, remedial reading and math, and English as a Second Language. After her lengthy and rewarding teaching career, she worked as a Tax Advisor for H&R Block from 2000-2019. Her interests were vast: dabbling in the stock market (she was a savvy investor); baking pies (her favorite was apple); golfing; gardening; keeping pets (including a horse, a squirrel, and many cats); theater; classical music; genealogy (a subject about which she published a book); knitting (she knit beautiful afghans and Christmas stockings for her family); playing bridge (she achieved a Silver Life Master ranking in bridge and was a founding member of the Bridge Club of Buffalo); member of Mensa; and playing basketball (despite being short in stature, she played basketball for D'Youville College). Very handy around the house, she basically remodeled her home. Throughout her life, her family members recalled with awe her most impressive project: she hand-dug the cellar, carting out thousands of wheelbarrows of dirt. She also built a brick wall and laid expansive tile floors. A conservative Republican and very patriotic, she was very charitable, especially to the Catholic Church and Veterans organizations. Locally, she was a successful leader in the fight against Walmart building a store in East Aurora, which ultimately led to her being appointed to the East Aurora Village Planning Board, on which she served for many years. A world traveler, she visited China, Australia, New Zealand, Iceland, Greenland, Africa, Europe, South America and extensively throughout the U.S. Her daughters report that Mom "truly enjoyed beer (IPAs especially) and margaritas". She is survived by her daughters, Wendy (Richard) Buttermore and Sara (Kevin) Baumann; brother, Daniel Rider; and many loving nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her parents Wesley and Mary Rider and brother James. Relatives and friends are invited to attend a Memorial Mass to be held on Saturday, September 28, 2019 at 10 a.m. at Immaculate Conception Church, 520 Oakwood Ave., East Aurora. Flowers gratefully declined. If so desired, memorial contributions may be made to Hospice Buffalo.