Mary Catherine "May" Kreider

Mary Catherine “May” Kreider (née Corrigan), 91, passed away peacefully on July 26, 2025, at Calvary Hospital in the Bronx, NY.

Mary was born on July 8, 1934, in Pelham Bay, Bronx, NY—the first of five children born to Irish immigrants. Proud of her Irish heritage, she remained a Bronx girl through and through.

She met her future husband, Robert “Bob” Kreider, also from Pelham Bay, and they were married on June 7, 1958, at Our Lady of the Assumption Church. The couple began their married life in Pelham Bay before moving with their five children to Pearl River, NY, in 1970.

The transition from the Bronx to the suburbs—with five children and no subway or local bus service—was not easy, especially with Bob commuting to his job as an NYPD detective and taking the family car. But Mary quickly built a circle of close-knit friendships with other young mothers navigating the same challenges. In an incredible show of ambition and camaraderie, Mary and several of these women enrolled in the nursing program at Rockland Community College, graduating as Registered Nurses in 1975.

Mary went on to work at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital and earned a Master’s Degree in Nursing from Columbia University—proudly calling herself an “Ivy League grad!” She became a Certified Oncology Nurse (OCN) and retired in 1999 from the hospital’s Department of Nursing Education. Even after retirement, she continued to serve others as a hospice nursing volunteer—a testament to her lifelong dedication to caring for others.

She was active in the Rockland County Ladies Auxiliary of the Ancient Order of Hibernians (LAOH), Division 3 in Pearl River, and was deeply honored to serve as Grand Marshal of the Pearl River St. Patrick’s Day Parade in 2010.

Mary, the matriarch of the family, is survived by her beloved husband of 67 years, Robert Kreider, and their five children: Maureen, Robert Jr. (Jessica), Terrence, Timothy (Kelly), and Matthew (Jennifer). She also leaves behind eight cherished grandchildren: Tim Jr. (Katelyn), Cameron (Alyssa), Catherine, Kieran, Molly, Jenna, Casey, and Delilah; and her sister, Anne Sheridan.

Mary was predeceased by her parents, Patrick Corrigan and Molly (née Quegan); her siblings, Patricia “Patsy” Keenan, Elizabeth “Betty” Shea, and John Corrigan; and her great-grandson, Christian Cooper Kreider.

Mary’s life was filled with love, laughter, perseverance, kindness, and generosity, a shining example of a life well-lived and deeply loved.

Visitation will be held at Wyman-Fisher Funeral Home, 100 Franklin Ave. Pearl River, NY, on Wednesday July 30, 2025 from 3 PM to 7 PM. 

The funeral mass will be Thursday July 31, 2025 at 10:00am at St Aedans Church located at 23 Reld Drive, Pearl River, NY.  Burial will follow at the Frederick Loescher Veterans Memorial Cemetery at 220 Brick Church Road New Hempstead, New York

In lieu of flowers donations may be made to Calvary Hospital at fund.calvaryhospital.org.