Mary is the 3rd child of Jack and Anna Wright
I would be very surprised if anyone over the age of 20 needed to be “introduced” to this beautiful lady. My Aunt Mary has been such an important person in our family for so many reasons. Let me tell you some of them. (This is going to be a long post) From the time she was a young woman, she stood out. As far back as high school, she has been a leader. She helped spearhead the publication of the very first yearbook in Larksville High School and organized many of the fundraising activities that paid for it. She was popular with students and teachers alike.She attended Mercy Hospital School of Nursing and spent her entire career at Mercy Hospital, giving what was no doubt the best of care to her patients.She met and married the love of her life, Chet Grochowski, and together they raised a beautiful family. Uncle Chet worked at Keystate Bakery in Wilkes-Barre. Starting his workday in the wee hours of the morning. He never drove a car so he would often walk to work which kept him in great physical shape! There has never been a man more devoted to his wife – he truly adored Aunt Mary. He had great pride in his family and the Wilkes-Barre home they lived in for all but a few years of their married life. They have three children – Mary Pat (married to Tom Maiese), Lizanne (married to Ken Chmielewski) and John (married to Lucy Kryger), nine grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren. Uncle Chet sadly passed away in 2009 and he will forever be missed.While their children kept her very busy, Aunt Mary always had time for the Wright family. She hosted the best Halloween parties where you would find many cousins dressed in the most creative costumes, wandering the graveyard in the Grochowski backyard in search of the tombstones she created for all attending the party. No holiday was insignificant and her house was decorated to the hilt for every occasion. Her spirit was contagious and the minute you entered her kitchen, your mood was lifted.Every family reunion was important to her because she spent the day with those she loved so much. So many of our best reunion memories are of the skits she wrote and family members performed. She loved how cousins would hear her skit for the first time on the day of the reunion and improvise their roles with the highest level of humor. The “audience” had great fun and always looked forward to the entertainment.One of her favorite holidays was, of course, St. Patrick’s Day. Irish music filled the kitchen while Uncle Chet prepared the ham, corned beef and cabbage that would feed the appreciative guests after the much anticipated Wilkes-Barre St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Out-of-towners (myself included) would make the trip to Wilkes-Barre to enjoy all the festivities and we were never disappointed. Our favorite year, of course, was the year Aunt Mary was named Grand Marshal. Many of us marched with her and shared the joy she exuded. It was a great year.On the other hand, 2018 was not a great year because it was the year Aunt Mary’s beloved home caught fire. It goes without saying it brought deep heartbreak, but far more gratitude because Aunt Mary wasn’t in it at the time. She lost all the treasures she had accumulated for so many years, but she gained even more respect from all who watched how she handled this tragedy. She demonstrated such grace and acceptance and, above all, an appreciation for how her family helped her pick up the pieces. She now comfortably lives with Lizanne and Ken in the beautiful space they built for her and she is happy.While she is the first to admit she doesn’t get around as easily as she always did, she still enjoys the occasional Covid style shopping trip with Lizanne or Mary Pat. She is especially happy in the Hallmark Store (or any store that sells cards) looking for the perfect cards to send friends and family celebrating birthdays, anniversaries, etc. There is no one on earth more dedicated to remembering those she cares about on every imaginable occasion. (She lost some dates and addresses in the fire so if you used to get cards from her and now don’t – that’s why).So, Mary Wright Grochowski, I hope you feel the love your family has for you. We are so very proud of you.Please share some of your own memories. I realize there aren’t any photos of her with Uncle John, the brother she was so very close to. If you have a photo, please post it.
