Maryann B. Cloke

Maryann B. Cloke, 73, of Maple Shade passed away peacefully on Monday, June 15, 2020. She is survived by Matthew, her husband of 54 years; her four children, Veronica (John), Eileen, James (Denise), and Richard (Kimberly); and her eight grandsons, Stephen, Matthew, Randall, Christopher, Colin, Conor, Chad, and Aidan.

Maryann was born in Staten Island, NY and graduated high school in France. She was a longtime administrative assistant at Fort Dix and later for the IRS in both Buffalo, NY and Philadelphia. She would retire to begin her second career: full-time grandmother.

Her greatest love was her family, especially her grandchildren. One would have thought she had worked for the postal service, as neither rain nor sleet nor snow would keep her from cheering on her grandchildren at their many sporting events. She always made sure to have plenty of activities available at home to keep the boys busy. And all the grandsons knew about Grandma’s cabinet filled with all sorts of candy, cookies, and soda. She had no boundaries for sweets.

Everyone knew who to go to if they needed something mended, like a favorite sports shirt or a beloved stuffed animal like Moe. Maryann knitted afghans and made quilts for her grandsons. And with each engagement and birth she would be sure to make a stocking unique to the family’s new addition.

Maryann enjoyed scary movies. Her children would tease her for exposing them and her grandchildren to the genre at too young an age.

Maryann was an avid reader. Even in her last days when concentrating could be difficult, she would try to read, and one day expressed dismay when she couldn’t: “This is terrible; I didn’t read today.” She always encouraged her children and grandchildren to read. Her Kindle collection neared 1000 titles, but the total number of books she had read is known only to God and her local libraries. 

Maryann had many interests, like crossword puzzles, sudoku, jigsaw puzzles—anything to keep the mind sharp. She was a creative, intelligent person. She enjoyed politics. She was an avid fan of the New York Mets, Jets, and Knicks.

A celebration of Maryann’s life will be held at a future date once pandemic restrictions are lifted. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in Maryann’s name can be made to St. Jude's Children’s Hospital at stjude.org.