Obituary of Mary (Burns) Lascaris

Mary Burns Lascaris passed into her eternal life on May 27, 2024 at the age of 100, at home with devoted family by her side.

Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, June 5, 2024 at 10am at Most Holy Rosary Church, 111 Roberts Ave, Syracuse. An hour of calling hours will be held prior from 9 am to 10am at the church. Burial will be in Onondaga County Veterans Memorial Cemetery.

Mary is survived by her loving children, Anne (Thomas) Kiefer, John (Cindy) Lascaris, Jr. and Mary Ellen Speicher (David Hubbard); six grandchildren, Matthew (Tamara) Mateus, Mandy Beeler, John Lascaris III, Patrick (Brittany) Kiefer, Michael (Lauren Cowen) Kiefer, and Beth (Patrick) Ciambrone; four great grandchildren, Ryann, Emily, Mia and Madison; and many nieces and nephews.

She was predeceased by her beloved husband, John L. Lascaris; her parents, John and Marie (Burke) Burns; and her brothers, Robert, John, William, and Thomas Burns, and sister, Marjorie (Burns) Glavin.

Mary’s family extends their deepest appreciation to the outstanding staff at Brookdale Summerfield who foster a wonderfully homelike atmosphere for those who live there. She had many close friendships with staff and residents.

Mary’s family is extremely grateful to the home health caregivers at Brookdale Summerfield for their unparalleled care and compassion during her years there, and especially in her final days.

The family would also like to acknowledge the exceptional professionalism and care provided by Dr, Michael Kuhn and the Palliative Care Team at Family Care Medical Group, PC, at Community Campus at Upstate University Hospital.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Most Holy Rosary Church, 111 Roberts Ave, Syracuse, NY 13207.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Mary Lascaris, please visit Tribute Store.

Mary Elizabeth Burns was born on May 18, 1924, the youngest of six children, and lived her entire life in Syracuse. She graduated from Most Holy Rosary High School, and
from Nazareth College of Rochester with a degree in sociology. After college, she was employed in the Children’s Division of the Onondaga County Department of Social Services where she met her dear husband, John L. Lascaris, who eventually became Commissioner of Social Services for the county. They married in 1951 and enjoyed 43 years of happiness together, first on Tipp Hill, and then Onondaga Hill, until John’s death in 1994.

Like other mid-century American homemakers in Tipp Hill, and like her own mother, Mary was a resourceful, creative and intrepid homemaker. While the Lascaris kids were outside playing with their first best friends, the O’Connor kids from next door, she made good use of her time cooking, cleaning, and indulging in her passion for sewing and crafts.
Mary made many of her own clothes and those of her two daughters, Anne and Mary Ellen—school dresses, First Communion dresses, Easter finery including coats, prom gowns, and bridal veils. Even her son, John Jr, benefited from her talents. When he broke his leg and wore a cast for weeks from toes to hip, she added zippers to his pant legs so he could be dressed for school and church. Her skills as a seamstress and in furniture restoration were legendary—she made drapes and slipcovers, and refinished and reupholstered chairs and loveseats. She knitted sweaters and baby clothes. She serviced and repaired her sewing machine herself. She wallpapered, painted and stenciled. She did as many home repairs as she could. She relied on the “Reader’s Digest Do it Yourself Manual” and her own toolkit. She kept a pipe wrench in the utensil drawer of every home in which she lived.
When their three children reached school age at St. Patrick’s, Mary returned to the workforce as a social worker at St. Joseph’s Hospital. Upon retirement she became an active volunteer, most notably for 27 years at Community General Hospital, and also on the Resident Council at Brookdale Summerfield Senior Living Community for several of the years she resided there. She also served on the Board of the Visiting Nurse Association, the Auxiliary Board at St. Camillus Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Facility and the Auxiliary Board at Community General Hospital. She also volunteered at the Everson Museum and for Meals-On-Wheels.

In addition to sewing and crafts, Mary loved bridge; travel to Europe, Hawaii, Alaska, and central America; and above all the company of her family and many friends. She belonged to a bridge club and held those friends close into her final years.
Most dear to Mary’s heart were summers spent at the family camp in Old Forge, NY, where her children and grandchildren learned to love the Adirondacks as much as shedid. Until the camp was updated gradually starting in the 1960’s, there was no heat except for the fireplace in the living room and no hot water unless the little cast iron Franklin woodstove was lit to heat the water heater. There was no washer or dryer, no phone, no TV. There was a coal stove to cook and bake. Mary’s father bought the camp when she was 11 years old and she summered there for decades. She and her siblings worked summer jobs in Old Forge to help pay for college as well as graduate and medical school for three of her brothers. The boys caddied at Thendara Golf Club and waited tables at The Ferns Restaurant. Her sister, Marge, worked at the Adirondack League Club. Mary was a lifeguard at Old Forge Beach and a telephone operator. Many friendships were made with boys and girls locally.

Mary and John brought their own children ‘up to camp’ for the summer. Their children never minded the cold, or the lack of TV or a phone. Mary filled their days with trips to the beach to swim, rides on the McCauley Mountain chairlift, and hikes in the woods. She bought a small motorboat and trailered it up on the back of her Chevy Impala for the kids to enjoy on Old Forge Pond. She let them be ‘free range’ kids and find their own fun and friends around Old Forge which they did. She made homemade berry pies, molasses cookies and fantastic dinners on the old coal stove, so when the kids came home for dinner, ravenous after a day of adventures, there was always a wonderful meal waiting.

Mary was a terrific grandmother to her grandkids, sharing stories of her growing up years, baking favorite treats, introducing them to the wonders of the Adirondacks, and finding the perfect Christmas gift that even Mom and Dad and Santa couldn’t lay hands on—like the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle action figures she snagged in a melee at Toys R Us one year.

In addition to caring for her immediate family, working and volunteering, Mary was also a compassionate caregiver to extended family members during their illnesses and final days. She brought meals and provided physical care, and when a loved one entered the hospital or a skilled nursing facility, she was a strong advocate for their needs. This was one of the most important lessons her children take from Mary’s life.

Mary was blessed to celebrate her 100th birthday with family, friends, residents and staff at Brookdale Summerfield on May 18, 2024.