Mary Coe

Mary K.A. (Benenati) Coe, 91, of Norwich, passed away Sunday, September 24, 2017 at Chenango Memorial Hospital’s Residential Health Care Facility.

Mary was born June 25, 1926, in Norwich, NY, and the daughter of Guiseppe Benenati and Mary (Testa) Benenati. She graduated from Norwich High School with the Class of 1946. Mary worked for and retired from the Norwich Shoe Company, and enjoyed working part-time thereafter as a cafeteria worker at NBT Bank and Norwich-Eaton Pharmaceuticals. Mary never really retired; she kept very active in her community and her church well into her 80’s! She also enjoyed her daily visits to Teaser’s hair salon.

On June 26, 1954, she married Howard O. Coe, of Oxford, NY, who predeceased her on May 14, 1997. Mary is survived by her son, Joseph, and his wife, Ann, of Norwich, her daughter, Melinda McMahon, and her husband, Brian, of Liberty Township, OH, her granddaughter, Jenna McMahon, and her great-granddaughter, Nora, each of Cincinnati, OH.

Mary was very active in the Norwich community, and was known as the “Flag Lady.” She had a mission to raise money to ensure there were flags flying at all public buildings in Norwich. Mary met her goal, and even exceeded it by having a reserve fund established to be used to replace flags when they became worn. When the new firehouse on East Main Street was built, she was asked to be there for the raising of the flag -- a true testament to how much she loved her community. Mary was also very active member of St. Bartholomew’s Church, in Norwich.

A Memorial Mass for Mary will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, September 30, 2017, at the Church of St. Bartholomew, where Rev. Ralph A. Bove, pastor, will officiate. Burial will be private. Friends are invited to call at the Wilson Funeral Home, in Norwich, on Saturday from 9:00 - 10:00 a.m.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that friends and family fly the American flag in her memory on Saturday, September 30th, 2017, as her life is being celebrated and she is being laid into rest.