Obituary of Mary Ellen Schulze

ORRINGTON -- Mary E. Schulze, 96, wife of Carl E. Schulze (deceased), died June 10, 2019 at the Van Rensselaer Manor in Troy, NY after a brief illness. She was born March 14, 1923 in Bangor, the daughter of John P. Abbott and Winifred (Luosey) Abbott.

Mary attended St. John’s Elementary school and then John Bapst High School, Class of 1941. She then attended St. Elizabeth School of Nursing in Brighton, MA, and upon graduation joined the Army as a Lieutenant, serving as a WWII Army Nurse in the Philippines. After her service, Mary Ellen worked for the VA in California, attended Syracuse University, and worked at Dow Air Force Base as a Labor and Delivery RN. She also did private duty nursing and worked at Eastern Maine Medical Center and St. Joseph’s Hospital in Bangor. Mary met her husband Carl in 1966, and they were married in Rome, Italy in 1968.  They moved to Saudi Arabia, where he worked for Aramco for seven years, before moving to Orrington. Following Carl’s death in 2002, Mary Ellen continued to live in Orrington until very recently. She lived there over 43 years. A 40+ year communicant of St. Teresa’s Catholic Church, Brewer, she was involved in church life including service as an Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist, member of the Social Justice committee, chair of the altar guild, member of the Sodality, and participant in weekly adoration and small groups.

She was predeceased by her husband; her parents; siblings and spouses Frances and Thomas Landers, Pat and Charles King, Joan and John Mayo, James Abbott, John Abbott, Carolyn and Peter Culumovic, Michael Abbott.  Mary is survived by daughter Mary Katherine Vitale and husband James, of Altamont, NY; 3 grandsons and their wives and children: Kyle Vitale and Amy (Labzentis) with great-grandsons Auden and Ian of East Haven, CT, Alex Vitale and Michaela (Martin) of Latham, NY, James Vitale, Jr. and Isabel (Sanders) with great-grandson Ezra of Altamont, NY; sister-in-law Helen Abbott (wife of Michael Abbott); many nieces, nephews, grand- and great-grand nieces and nephews, cousins and friends.

In lieu of flowers, please make a contribution in Mary Ellen’s name to John Bapst Memorial High School, 100 Broadway, Bangor ME 04401 or Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center Foundation, PO Box 931, Bangor, ME  04402.

Friends may call 5-8 p.m. Monday, June 17, 2019 at Kiley & Foley Funeral Home, 69 State St., Brewer. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated 10 a.m. Tuesday, June 18, at St. Paul the Apostle Parish, St. Teresa’s Catholic Church, 425 South Main St., Brewer. Burial will follow at Mt. Pleasant Cemetery, Ohio St., Bangor.  All are invited to a reception following the burial at Jeff’s Catering, 15 Littlefield Rd., Brewer.  Messages and memories may be shared with the family at kileyandfoley.com