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- Mary Louise (Sayles) Allison, 88, died early Wednesday morning (April 24, 2013) at St. James Mercy Hospital where she had been a patient for ten days.
On Jan. 24, 1925, a day of a total eclipse of the sun, Mary was born at Bethesda Hospital, the fifth child of Stephen Fred Sayles and Irene Weld Sayles.
Mary grew up in Hornell and was a graduate of Hornell High School (class of 1943). She was first, and always, a caregiver. Babysitting since the age of 12, she chose nursing as a career, graduated from the University of Rochester and worked on the maternity ward at Bethesda Hospital. For many years she also taught classes to expectant mothers.
In June 1951, Mary met Sindal Burton “Burt” Allison at a strawberry social. They married six months later. He predeceased her July 3, 1995.
Mary looked forward to becoming a mother and she and Burt were blessed with three daughters and a son. Stephen Burton Allison died in 1959 on a sad day that changed Mary forever. She began a search for truth, needing absolute assurance that she would one day be reunited with Stephen.
She became a born-again Christian in 1970 after which she freely testified to everyone – friends, family, strangers, and telemarketers – that she had a baby boy, he died, and she was going to see him again someday because of Jesus. After becoming born-again, she resigned from nursing. She put all of her care-giving energies into her family - her youngest child, her husband, and her aging mother who she attended to lovingly for a decade. Burton contracted ALS and she was his sole caregiver for the next decade.
In her youth, Mary enjoyed watching Shirley Temple movies and would learn all of the tap dancing routines that she observed while watching the movies. Later, she would perform these routines for her family. Mary continued her love of tap dancing her entire life. In later years, she enjoyed gardening and working on crossword puzzles.
In addition to her parents, husband and son, Mary was preceded in death by 2 brothers, Harold “Red” Sayles and Shirley “Chick” Sayles; 1 sister, Fannie Roblin; and her much-loved son-in-law, David Boag.
Surviving are 3 daughters, Martha (Dennis) Stearns of Brighton, N.Y., Nancy (Nick) Berger of Garrison, N.Y., and Susan Allison of Hornell; five grandchildren, Christopher (Michelle) Stearns of New York City, Rebecca Stearns, Ph. D., of Connecticut, Jennilyn Boag (Robert) Pickering of Brighton, Colleen Irene Boag of Los Angeles, and Amanda Stearns of Philadelphia; great-grandson, John David Pickering is a happy, bright 21-month old who brings delight to Allison family members who will share their memories of Mary with him and tell him of her life story. Mary’s sister, Genevieve Harding of Austin, Texas, has faithfully stayed in touch, making calls to Hornell to talk with her sister and she will miss those conversations. Mary also leaves behind numerous nieces and nephews, various relatives in the Sayles, Weld, Nicholson, Conderman and Allison families and kind neighbors who watched out for her in later years. She will also be sadly missed by her beloved sheltie, “Teddy”.
Since Sept. 16, 1959, Mary Sayles Allison has longed for the day she would see her son again. That joyful reunion has begun and everyone who loved her rejoices.
At Mary’s request there will be no calling hours. Private services will be held at the convenience of the family.
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1925 - 2013 (88 years)
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