Mary Ann Woiler

Mary Ann Woiler, née Frankenstein, lived a full and energetic life for nearly 94 years, passing peacefully on June 15, 2025. Born to Chester and Paula Frankenstein, she was the youngest of three sisters, the eldest being Alice, who died in 2019, and Jane Marks of NYC, the middle sister. She is survived by her four children: Steve Woiler (Mary Ellen), Jill Brulé (Jim), Glenn Woiler, and Jan Woiler Meuse (Steve), who, between them, gave her six grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren.

Born in Port Chester, NY, Mary’s journey was shaped by determination and a warm spirit. She developed a strong attachment to her parents, particularly her father, for whom she enjoyed doing the bookkeeping at his auto parts store.

As a teen, her life was full. She rode competitively and earned blue ribbons for her English-style horseback riding. Her love of ballet was so great that she was willing to travel alone by train to New York City every week to attend ballet lessons. In high school and college, she attended as many evening ballroom dancing events as possible.

A public school teacher on Long Island for many years, Mary dedicated herself to shaping young minds. Early in her career, as a single mother of three, she taught in one of New York City's most challenging public schools. Later, she continued her work in financial aid and bookkeeping at Farmingdale State College.

Mary pursued her passions with gusto. She was a skilled tennis player, known for her strong determination on the court, outrunning opponents despite not having a powerful serve or backhand, leading to many trophies. How many trophies? Too many to count… those not on display filled a multitude of storage boxes.

As a Gold Life Master at Contract Bridge, she brought a strategic mind to her games and later shared her love for bridge by teaching classes, helping to foster communities of players. This was a great weaving of her loves: teaching, bridge, and socializing. She also continued her ballroom dancing throughout her life, well into her last decade.

She was devoted to her husband of 41 years, Arnold Woiler, whom she called “Doll.” When recalling how their relationship began after a Memorial Day party, she would often say, “I chased him until he caught me!” He would quip that she could "pinch a penny so tightly that Abe Lincoln would cry."

Mary was also known for her friendliness, strength of character, and determination.

She held firm beliefs about healthy eating, usually delivered as simple meals. Her visits to grandchildren famously resulted in her replacing sugary cereals with raisin bran, snuck into the sugary boxes. Her children also recall her precise memory for the layout of her refrigerator, and clever methods of hiding candy. In fact, Hallowe’en candy could easily last from one year to the next, as she hid it so successfully.

Beyond her family, Mary was remembered by former students for championing children who were bullied. In particular, one such student thanked her years later, saying her intervention had changed his life.

After Arnold passed, Mary resumed her social life after an appropriate pause with delight. She made many dear friends, renewed old relationships, and lived life fully, more likely than not on the arm of a sweet man. She returned to Syracuse, where she had begun her college career, in 2015 to be closer to her multi-generational family and pursue a more leisurely life.

All told, Mary Woiler’s life was a testament to living deeply and leaving a positive impression on all she encountered. She will be dearly missed, and her vibrant spirit will continue to bring smiles to those who knew her.