Mary Tortoro

Mary V. Tortoro , 94, of Thurmont, passed away on Thursday, June 8, 2017 at Glade Valley Nursing & Rehab, Walkersville

Born on August 22, 1922, in Thurmont, MD, she was the daughter of the late John Henning and Fairy (Long) Henning, who moved to Thurmont in 1919. Initially living with her mother's sister, Laura Long Merritt and her husband, Caleb Cornwall Merritt, in the locally known Shipley house. The Shipley house burned in the fall of 1940. Mary's parents helped maintain the home place until her father's death in 1943. Mary was raised in Thurmont and attended local schools. Her favorite memory as a child was school snow days, they would go to school and if not enough children arrived her teacher Ms. Hadie Beard would send the children to the local store to get crackers and sardines that would be eaten before the long walk back home. Mary met her husband initially in 1945 at the Fleagle boarding house, where Mary and her mother would eat hot meals during breaks from the local shoe factory. Her husband went on to attend Barber school in Baltimore and upon returning to Thurmont in 1951 opened his own shop. In 1954, he and Mary began dating, became engaged and then married. Settling into married life, the couple moved to their life long home on East Street.

Mary enjoyed taking care of her home and family, working her large garden and preparing canned goods for the winter months.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Francis Tortoro, Sr. and her brothers, John Jr., Merritt, Harry, George, Curtis, and her twin brother Franklin Henning, who passed in infancy.

She is survived by sons, Francis Tortoro, Jr. and David Tortoro both of Thurmont. She is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews.

The family will receive friends on Monday, June 12, 2017 from 5pm to 8pm at Stauffer Funeral Homes, P.A,(Thurmont) 104 East Main Street, Thurmont, MD

A graveside service will take place at 12pm on Tuesday, June 13, 2017 at Blue Ridge Cemetery, Thurmont.

Memorial donations may be made to the Alzheimer's Association, P.O. Box 96011, Washington, D.C. 20090-6011

The family would like to thank Glade Valley Nursing and Rehab for their excellent care of Mrs. Tortoro over the last few years of her life.

Expressions of sympathy may be offered to the family at staufferfuneralhome.com.