Mary Forrest-Merando

Mary Forrest-Merando of Livingston Manor, NY, left us peacefully during the early morning of May 19, 2021.  She was diagnosed with cancer only a month earlier.

Born Maria Mercedes Diaz Marcano on March 15, 1935 in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico, she was the 6th of 14 children born to the late Luis Marcano and Salustiana Diaz de Marcano.

Mary came to New York City in 1956 where she met and married Robert Forrest, originally of Bovina.  They moved back to Delaware County, settling in Delancey, where they raised their children Mary Ann and Robert Jr.  Always a strong believer in education, Mary earned an AA in Secretarial Science in 1977 and a BS in Foreign Language Education in 1984 while working to help support the family.  She then became the Director of Foreign Languages at the Edmeston Central School.  She and Bob divorced around this time.  She continued her education, earning an MS in Foreign Language Education from NYU.  In 1986 she began teaching at the Livingston Manor Central School where she headed the ESL program and taught Spanish.  Aside from a year as a language instructor at the University of Rhode Island, she continued at LMCS until retiring in 2000.  She married Peter Merando in 1991 and they remained together until his death in 2013.  After retiring from teaching, she began another career in real estate, selling homes in and around Sullivan County until she fell ill in March.

Preceded in death by her parents and four brothers, Mary is survived by her siblings Luis, Aurea, Eduviña, Eneida, Dario, Pricila, Victoria, Persida, and Radames; her children Mary Ann Forrest-Woodward (John), and Robert Forrest Jr. (Kristen); and her grandchildren Dylan Forrest, Eleanor Woodward, William Woodward, Andrew Guglielmo, Elizabeth Forrest, and Conor Forrest.

Visitation will be Monday, May 24, 2021 from 4-7 PM in the Harris Funeral Home, West St. at Buckley, Liberty, NY.  Funeral Services will be Tuesday, May 25, 2021 at 11AM in the funeral home.  The Rev. Burt More will officiate.  Burial will follow at the Bovina Cemetery, Bovina Center, NY.

Donations in lieu of flowers may be sent in Mary’s name to the Memorial Sloane Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Ave. New York, NY 10065.

Arrangements have been entrusted to the Harris Funeral Home, West St. at Buckley, Liberty, NY www.Harris-FH.com  845-292-0001 or 845-439-5200