Mary Nicholas

Mary Theresa Nicholas passed away on October 25, 2026, in Avon, Connecticut, at the age of 85. Her passing was peaceful and she was surrounded by her family.

Born in Springfield, Illinois on September 24, 1941, Mary was the beloved daughter of Frank and Loretta Dresch, owners of the city’s last independent soda factory, and providers of soft drinks for the Illinois State Fair for a number of years.

Mary was raised in a religious family and attended catholic school before going to the University of Illinois and later Middlebury College where she earned her master’s degree in German. Mary studied abroad in Germany and was actually detained by guards at the Berlin Wall - a misunderstanding of course, but a good family story.

Mary met and married Jim Nicholas and the family settled in Tully, NY. An intellectual lover of languages, Mary taught English and German at Tully alongside “Mr. Nick,” one of the school’s guidance counselors. After nearly 15 years at Tully, Mary moved on to teach German at Fayetteville Manlius Schools in 1986. She will be missed by her students, colleagues and neighbors.

Always staunchly religious, Mary converted to Greek Orthodox and became an active member of the St. Sophia’s community in Syracuse, singing in the choir, participating in performances, helping to organize the Jr. Greek Olympics and holding down the gyro counter at the Greek festivals. 

Mary was a powerhouse linguist, also proficient in the Greek language. She will be remembered for her sharp wit and endless thirst for books and knowledge. She always finished The New York Times Crossword on the drive to church on Sundays. She remained self-effacing and approachable to the end – she was Google before Google, always ready with an answer, especially regarding spelling and grammar.

Mary was preceded in death by her husband, James Nicholas, her parents, Frank and Loretta Dresch, a sister, Norma, and brothers, George and Don. She is survived by her brother Edward and sister Carol, as well as four sons, Ted, Chris (Monica), James (Heather) and Greg (Gina) as well as ten grandchildren who knew her as “Oma”; Alex, Sophie, Yasmin, Caitlin (Brian Shannon and first great-grandchild any moment), Claire, James, Julia, Emily, Elise and Michael. 

The Nicholas family would like to thank all of the wonderful healthcare professionals and friends that helped mom as her disease progressed, and especially the nurses and aides at The Residence at Brookside who provided excellent care for years, and Arden Courts who comforted her in the final weeks of life.

Calling hours will be held Sunday, November 1, from 3-5pm at Burns-Garfield Funeral Home at 3175 East Genesee St. Syracuse. Funeral Services will be held Monday, November 2, at St. Sophia’s Greek Orthodox Church at 10am with burial to follow at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Dewitt, NY.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that contributions be sent to the St. Sophia’s Greek Orthodox Church Scholarship Fund, Waring Rd., Syracuse, NY 13224, and/or the Cure Alzheimer’s Fund.