Marie Harrity PowellNovember 6, 1929 - January 10, 2017Marie Harrity Powell, passed away peacefully at Lima Estates in Media, PA on January 10, 2017. Marie was born on November 6, 1929 to Anna and John Harrity in New York City. She was an honors graduate of our Lady of the Valley High School in Orange, NJ. At a time when formal education was the exception for young women, she graduated from St. Elizabeth's College, Convent Station, NJ after completing a senior internship at Prudential Insurance Company's well-known dining facilities at the corporate headquarters in Newark, NJ. Marie, noted for her keen intellect, excelled at her studies earning her Bachelor's degree in Home Economics. Marie married Bernard MacDonald Powell, on June 30th, 1951. They made a loving home for their family originally in northern NJ in Livingston and, later, in Short Hills. They moved the family to Haddon Township in 1963 and relocated to Tuckahoe in 1982. A devoted wife and mother, Marie spent her early years concentrating her time and energy on raising her family and supporting her husband, Bernard, in his career. Well known for her excellent cooking, she was always the first to a new neighbor with a homemade pie. Her flakey pastry crust will never be replicated In the early 1980s, Marie attended community college for coursework in bookkeeping and accounting. She joined Bernard as the Office Manager of Powell & Powell, a new law firm that Bernard founded in 1982 in Tuckahoe, NJ with their son, Donald. In 1993, Marie retired from the law firm. She and Bernard moved to Lima Estates in Media, PA in 1998. In retirement, they continued to enjoy golfing, and traveling both on various cruises and to the Jersey shore, most notably Cape May.Grandma 'Re displayed a zest for life that will be missed by all who knew her. From school-day wakeups of Bobby Darin blaring on the hifi, to after dinner card games of Spider, and epic family battles on the croquet court, she was a spirited competitor who infected others with her enthusiasm. Always a front runner, 'Re took up yoga in her 40s, and Tai Chi and line dancing in her 60s.Marie is survived by her husband of 65 years, Bernard "Don" MacDonald Powell also of Lima Estates and their four children: Susan Powell of Mount Laurel, NJ; Donald Powell of Mount Laurel, NJ; Jean Powell Kirnan of Spring Lake, NJ; and Norman Powell of Unionville, PA. Marie also leaves behind a son-in-law, Jack Kirnan, and two daughters-in-law, Maria Powell, and Jacqueline Powell, along with six grandchildren, Robert (and his wife, Kristen), Tarah Kirnan Howard (and her husband, Logan), Katie, Patrick, Barrett, and Miles and two great-grandchildren, Teagan and Declan. Marie is also survived by her sister, Aileen Maher, of Windham, NY, and brothers John Harrity of Huntsville, AL and Edmund Harrity of Morristown, NJ. She is predeceased by her brother Richard Harrity formerly of Ellicott City, MD.In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the New York League for the Hard of Hearing at
https://ssl.charityweb.net/chchearing/ or The College of St. Elizabeth at
https://cse.thankyou4caring.org/sslpage.aspx?pid=298
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