Mary R. Berglin
Mary R. Berglin of Hampton Bays died at her home on Wednesday, October 26, after a yearlong battle with pancreatic cancer. She was 78.
Born Mary Bernice Rek on January 10, 1933, in Waterbury, Connecticut, the youngest of 12 children of Polish immigrants Peter and Margaret Rek, she graduated from Naugatuck High School in 1951. She worked for several years at the chemical plant of Uniroyal Corporation in Naugatuck. In 1953 she met her husband, Harry Einar Berglin, a lifelong resident of Hampton Bays, when he was stationed in New London, Connecticut, while serving in the U.S. Navy. The Berglins married in 1954 and settled in Hampton Bays where they raised five children.
While raising her family, Ms. Berglin was an active Cub Scout den mother and 4-H Club leader. In more recent years she was a member of the Catholic Daughters and volunteered for the Dominican Sisters and Birthright. She was a constant spectator at her grandchildren’s dance recitals and football, lacrosse, field hockey, wrestling and cross-country competitions where she would often bring homemade cookies for the various teams. She was also a common sight at the Hampton Bays High School auditorium to watch her grandchildren in middle and high school music and drama productions.
Ms. Berglin worked for 15 years as a bookkeeper and office manager for George’s Sanitation in East Quogue and retired in 1996. She was predeceased by her husband after 43 years of marriage.
Ms. Berglin is survived by children, Janice Lee Berglin of Virginia, Christine Pandolfo and her husband Rich of Hampton Bays, Harry P. Berglin and his wife Lori of Glen Head, Thomas E. Berglin and his wife Deborah of East Quogue, and Richard M. Berglin and his wife Diane of Hampton Bays; 11 grandchildren, Richard Pandolfo and his wife Christina of Selden, Thomas and Alexandra Pandolfo of Hampton Bays, Ryan, Lauren and Jennie Berglin of Glen Head, Kyle T. Berglin of Florida, Kurt and Kiernan Berglin of East Quogue, and Christian and Nicholas Berglin of Hampton Bays; and sisters, Florence Grczygorcyk and Pat Ploch of Connecticut; and many nieces and nephews.
Visitation was held at R.J. O’Shea Funeral Home in Hampton Bays on Thursday, October 27. A funeral Mass took place on Friday, October 28, at the Church of St. Rosalie also in Hampton Bays.
Memorial donations for Ms. Berglin may be made to The Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research, 1111 Stewart Avenue, Bethpage, NY 11714, or to East End Hospice, P.O. Box 1048, Westhampton Beach, NY 11978.
on Nov 8, 2011