08/12/2025
The following obituary appears in the Monday, August 11, 2025 edition of the Norwich Evening Sun.
Mary Lourdes Gantt, age 73, passed away peacefully on the morning of August 2, 2025, in Cooperstown, NY, with her daughter by her side. In her final days, she was surrounded by love through frequent visits from her grandchildren and her brother. Mary’s passing marks the close of a life defined by resilience, hope, generosity, strength, and an unshakable devotion to family, community, and faith.
Mary was born at St. Luke's Hospital in Utica, NY, on August 25, 1951, to Oswald and June Schieffer. She grew up in Sherburne, NY, where her family was well known for their local businesses- a bowling alley and Ossie’s Restaurant. From an early age, Mary learned the value of hard work and hospitality. One of her first jobs was setting pins by hand at the bowling alley, an early glimpse into the tireless work ethic and grit that would shape her character.
Mary was proud, headstrong, and stubborn, traits she undoubtedly inherited from her father. She knew what she wanted, how things should be done, and wasn’t afraid to say so. Whether it was the way the restaurant should run, the cleanliness of her home, the management of her healthcare, or how her coffee was made, Mary paid attention to every detail. Her food had to be served fresh and hot and believed in doing things right. That pride, that precision, and that strong will helped throughout life.
Mary had a sharp eye for opportunity and a deep passion for her family’s business. She played a pivotal role in helping her parents expand Ossie’s Restaurant to a second location in Norwich, NY. She not only found the property and helped secure it, but she also managed it faithfully for its entire lifespan, right up until after her mother’s passing. The restaurant business was her fourth child. Her staff became family, and she never forgot their loyalty, hard work, shared memories. And the customers always came first, with some becoming family over time. When the time came to close that chapter, Mary with her older daughter opened Mary’s on the Corner in April 2008, during a snowstorm, a moment that perfectly embodied her resilience and love for the restaurant business. Her health forced her to step back and close the doors in January 2018, again during a snowstorm.
Mary was a devoted mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, cousin, aunt, and friend. Her daughters, and her son, who was adopted at birth, were the center of her world. She made it her mission to be present for every moment- swim meets, rock concerts, graduations, birthday parties, you name it. If it involved her kids or grandkids, Mary was there.
There was never a time when Mary didn’t have a pool at home. Swimming wasn’t just a hobby, it was a ritual. She swam daily for decades at noon, logging winter laps at the Norwich Family YMCA and moving outdoors to her backyard during the summer. When she could no longer swim or maintain her pool, she ensured her daughter bought one for her family. Chasing her grandkids around her pool was her favorite pastime. So much laughter.
Whether telling stories from her childhood in Sherburne, recalling restaurant antics, or just sitting around with family and friends, she believed in celebrating life loudly and often. Mary was a master party-thrower. Her cookouts, birthdays, and backyard bashes were unforgettable- the food, the music, the cops being called because of the noise ordinance…good times!
Mary never had much in the way of material things, but what she had, she gave freely- a meal, a ride, a place to stay, or simply her time and presence. She was easy to talk to when times were hard, and her generosity wasn’t about what she could afford. Mary was also a passionate sports fan. Besides watching her grandkids, she especially loved watching Patrick Mahomes light up the field and it brought out her competitive spirit.
Many knew of Mary’s health issues but what they didn’t know is that she was born with a rare and challenging medical condition called Klippel-Trénaunay Syndrome (KTS), a complex vascular disorder characterized by the very large Port-wine stain across the entire left side of her body and a range of painful vascular complications. For decades, the condition went undiagnosed and misunderstood, but Mary, ever determined, took control. About fifteen years ago, she diagnosed herself and became her own fiercest advocate. She traveled to Boston, Albany, Syracuse, Pennsylvania and beyond, educating her doctors, assembling care teams, and refusing to be dismissed. Her tireless pursuit of answers set an extraordinary example of resilience and self-empowerment. She never gave up.
Mary’s anchor was her unwavering faith in Jesus Christ. Her belief was lived, felt, and shared. She would often say, “God doesn’t do anything to us. He gets us through it.” Her relationship with her Lord and Savior was the source of her strength, her peace, and her joy. It carried her through pain, uncertainty, and loss and it now carries those she leaves behind.
Mary is predeceased by her parents, Oswald, and June Schieffer; her sister, Joanne Beeching; her brother, Michael Scheiffer; her niece, Danielle Migdal; and her uncles, Jack (Sissy), James, and Robert (Jean) Lewis.
She is survived by her daughters, Saundra Gantt, and Saundra’s children, Ravyn Sahara (and Ravyn’s son, Keanu), Killian Kegan, Saige Seraya, and Dradon Maddox; her daughter, Rebecca Ertelt (fiancé, Dan); her son, Evan Ertelt; her brother, Eddie Schieffer (Carol); her sister, Theresa Schieffer; her uncle, Richard Lewis (Cindy); and her favorite uncle George Lewis. Mary is remembered lovingly by many nieces and nephews and great-nieces and nephews, cousins, and dear friends.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to St. Jude’s Research, Tunnel for Towers, and the Sturge-Weber foundation, all causes she gave to monthly for decades.
Funeral services for Mary will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, August 15, 2025, at the Wilson Funeral Home. Friends are invited to call at the Wilson Funeral Home, in Norwich, from 12:00 p.m. until the time of the service. Burial will immediately follow the service at St. Malachy’s Cemetery in Sherburne.
Funeral arrangements were entrusted with the Wilson Funeral Home. To leave the family a message of condolence, please visit:
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