Mary Jane Snell Was a Registered Nurse

MARY JANE SNELL, born MARY JANE SHAW, died in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania on August 7, 2012, of lung cancer. Mary Jane was born in Ridley Park, Pennsylvania, on September 9, 1926, the daughter of MARY ALICE WAITE SHAW and ROGER MEREDITH SHAW. She grew up in Glenolden, Pennsylvania, and was a 1944 graduate of Glen-Nor High School. She trained as a registered nurse at Bryn Mawr Hospital School of Nursing, obtaining her nursing license in 1947. In 1948, she married THOMAS VINCENT GRIFFITHS, who died in 1975. She married C. HARRY SNELL in 1979. Harry died in 2010.

Mary Jane is survived by her sister, JOAN SHAW FLANNERY (wife of James Flannery), of North Carolina; her children: BRUCE GRIFFITHS, of Austin, Texas; JOANNE GRIFFITHS GORDON (wife of Dudley Gordon), of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; and DAVID GRIFFITHS (husband of Edie Griffiths), of Kimberton, Pennsylvania. She had six grandchildren: KATE GRIFFITHS-DINGANI (Mavuso Dingani), SEAN CHITTY (Ann Kolbeck), ERICA GORDON, THOMAS GORDON (Kate Gordon), JOHANNA GRIFFITHS, AND BENJAMIN GRIFFITHS, and a great granddaughter: TENDAYI DINGANI. She was preceded in death by her brother, ROGER MEREDITH SHAW, JR.

Mary Jane lived in Delaware County, Pennsylvania; Groves, Texas; Stamford, Connecticut; Palos Verdes Estates, California; and Phoenixville. She was an active volunteer with the Marple Township Ambulance Corps in the 1950s and 60s and a very active volunteer with the federal Job Corps program in Port Arthur, Texas in the late 60s.

Mary Jane spent her life caring for others. Trained as a nurse, she worked as a full-time homemaker when her children were young. She later practiced her profession successfully for more than twenty years in San Pedro, California, as a hospital and hospice nurse, retiring at age 72. She provided hands-on care to those in need at times of her life when she could easily have let someone else do it. Mary Jane’s warmth, generosity, sincerity and life-long curiosity will be remembered by all who had the good fortune to know her. Mary Jane was a loving and beloved daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, and great grandmother. She loved good food and a good time. She will be sorely missed.

Interment will be private. A memorial service will held at Campbell--Ennis--Klotzbach Funeral Home, 610 S. Main Street, Phoenixville, PA on September 15, 2012 at 1:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donation to the Clinic in Phoenixville (theclinicpa.org) or the Phoenixville Public Library are invited.