Mary Bernadette L'Estrange

Mary L’Estrange, of Deerfield Beach, FL, died peacefully surrounded by her loving family at her daughter Marie’s house in Woodstock, NY on September 11, 2022. Mary was born in Dublin, Ireland, to William and Margaret Mullins, and was the baby sister of Tom and Bill. Mary was always beautiful and popular. She went to dances with her friends as a teenager and was the belle of the ball. At one of those dances, she caught the eye of Joe L’Estrange, the eldest son of Joseph and Ellen. Joe wasted no time in asking Mary to marry him. He knew what a catch she was. So did Joe’s 10 siblings. Mary became the favorite in-law. The Mullins and L’Estrange families changed forever when Mary and Joe married.

Mary and Joe decided to emigrate to America in 1957, bringing their two little girls and Mary’s mother to Brooklyn to start a new chapter in their lives. Tragically, they had lost a baby girl, Colette, just months earlier. With youth, strength, determination, and love on their side, they created a dynasty in America.

They educated their five daughters and one son and launched them into successful careers. During their 53-year marriage they celebrated births, graduations, marriages, and each other.

When the children were old enough to babysit and allow Mary to explore career opportunities, she was interested in Real Estate. In no time, she became a licensed real estate broker and won awards in each office where she worked. She was a natural. Everyone trusted her wisdom and integrity. Her wonderful Irish accent didn’t hurt!

Work and motherhood were not Mary’s only passions. She and Joe won ballroom dancing trophies. She loved to go to the Roseland in Manhattan. Up until she was 89 years old, she regularly went dancing. She made anyone who danced with her look good.

Upon retirement, Mary and Joe moved from Hempstead NY to Florida. They enjoyed living in their beautiful home with the opportunity to swim and dance all year long. When Joe died in 2005, Mary had to find a way to re-create herself. She found friends and activities, especially music and dancing. In 2009, much like 1951 when Joe met her at a dance and knew he had to win her heart, Dick Vidulich met Mary and pursued her. They became life partners and dance partners for the rest of his life. This was a wonderful chapter in Mary’s life. She often said, “I hit the jackpot twice,” referring to Joe and Dick.

Besides being adored by her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and extended family, Mary was a beloved friend – to her childhood friends in Ireland, her close-knit group of neighbors in Hempstead, and her cherished friends in Florida. Mary knew how to have fun and was the person everyone wanted to know. People always gathered around Mary. And Mary was glamorous. Her high heels and her dresses were the talk of the town everywhere she went. Her skin was so smooth, soft, and ageless that it elicited comments from strangers. How did she do it? Her beauty radiated from the inside out. There will never be another Mary Mullins L’Estrange, and we are grateful to have had her for so long.

Mary was predeceased by her husband Joseph, her brothers Tom and Bill, and infant daughter, Colette. She is survived by her children, Carmel, Marie (José), Brian (Ann), Ann (John), Eileen (Michael), Deborah, 14 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren, all of whom found ways to be with her during her last months. She is also survived by brothers and sisters-in-law in Ireland and nieces and nephews in America, Canada, and Europe. She is everyone’s favorite aunt.

A funeral service for Mary will be held Monday, September 19, 2022, from 1:30 to 2:30 PM at Babione Funeral Home, 10060 Calle Comercio Drive, Boca Raton, Florida. Following the funeral service will be a committal service from 3:00 to 3:30 PM at The Gardens Mausoleum, 4103 N Military Trail, Boca Raton, Florida.

The services will be live-streamed on Eileen L’Estrange Strange’s Facebook page for our friends and family members around the globe.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in Mary’s memory to Ulster County Hospice hvhospice.org, or St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital stjude.org or the charity of your choice.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.BabioneBocaRaton.com for the L'Estrange family.