Mary A. Mach

Mary A. Mach (nee Woyshner) Of Lackawanna, NY. Beloved wife of the late Edward; dearest mother of Paul (Michele), Carl and Susan (Kenneth) Wood; daughter of the late Walter and the late Amelia (nee Zadzilka) Woyshner; sister of the late Walter (Judy) Woyshner and the late Robert (Anne) Woyshner; grandmother of Vincent (Meghan) Mach, Jeffery (Kelsey) Mach, Edward and Kenneth Wood; great grandmother of Leo Mach; also loved by many nieces and nephews. Family and friends may call Friday 4-8 PM at HOY FUNERAL HOME, 3855 Seneca St., West Seneca. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held Saturday 10:30 AM at Our Lady of Victory Basilica, 767 Ridge Rd, Lackawanna. Please assemble at church. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Mercy Nursing Facility at OLV, 55 Melroy Ave., Lackawanna, NY 14218.

From the family:

Mary A. Mach (nee Woyshner)

Nov 1, 1935 – May 10, 2025 (age 89)

Childhood

Mary’s mother (Amelia) died when she was 5 years old, an event that shaped her life. She had a less-than-ideal childhood without her mother but managed to get through it. After her mother’s early death, Mary spent a great deal of time with her grandmother (Mary Zadzilka) and with her cousins, many of which lived nearby. Mary’s two brothers, Water and Robert, who both were older than her, also helped look after her after her mother’s passing. Her father (Walter Woyshner, a Lackawanna police officer) eventually remarried, but Mary’s relationship with her stepmother was strained. Mary went to grammar school and high school (Baker Victory Academy) in Lackawanna. After high school she went to trade school to learn how to be a beautician; she worked at this trade for a few years into her early twenties.

Adulthood

Mary’s husband (Edward Mach) also lost his mother when he was 5 years old, and this shared experience bounded them together. They married in their early twenties and raised three children (Paul, Carl, and Susan) in Lackawanna. Mary always said that the best time of her life was when the kids were young. I fondly remember Mom and Dad always being there for us, taking us to picnics at the beach in the summer, playing cards and other games all year round, and almost always having dinner together. Mary was an at-home mom until the children were in high school, then started working part-time jobs in retail, such as Hickory Farms at the Seneca Mall. She struggled with too much weight in her late twenties and thirties and joined Weight Watches to lose weight, finally reaching her goal in her early forties. Because of this success, she was asked to be a lecturer for the Weight Watchers Organization, which she did for about 2o years. Mary and Ed golfed a lot together in their forties and fifties, a game they both enjoyed. Mary retired from Weight Watchers in 1993 to care for her husband who was diagnosed with lung cancer at that time. He passed away in May 1995, with Mary at his side. After his passing, Mary did a lot of traveling internationally (Poland, Middle East, Canada) and domestically, visiting friends and family out West and seeing the National Parks. Mary also joined golf and bowling leagues to stay active physically and socially. She also was a regular swimmer at the Cazenovia Park pool.

Last 12 years -- Her ability to stay active changed when she was diagnosed with peripheral arterial disease in 2013. She underwent two unsuccessful femoral-artery bypass surgeries in Oct. and Nov. 2013 and had to have her left leg amputated above the knee in Feb. 2014. She successfully completed rehab at Baker Manor and in May 2014 returned home with a prosthetic leg to live independently for about 9 years. She started slowing down physically and cognitively about 4 years ago and finally got to the point in Sept. 2023 when it was apparent that she could no longer live safely at home, even with extensive support from her children and others. For the last 1.5 years (since Nov. 2023), she was a resident at Mercy Nursing Facility at OLV, where she was well cared for by the dedicated staff there. She died peacefully in her sleep, as was her wish, on the morning of May 10, 2025, 30 years to the day after her husband Edward passed away (May 10, 1995).

Mary tolerated and managed many challenging health conditions over the last 10 years of her life, including heart disease (atrial fibrillation or A-Fib, aortic valve stenosis, and congestive heart failure), peripheral arterial disease, arthritis, kidney disease, hypothyroidism, hyperlipidemia, depression/anxiety, and for the past 4 years, dementia.

Last weeks – During the last few past weeks of her life, her heart rate and rhythm were very irregular, and she was very fatigued and slept a lot, even during the daytime. We think her heart gave out at the end, becoming too tired to continue. Her desire to live, faith, family, friends, many doctors, and the dedicated staff at Mercy Nursing Facility kept her going for as long as she did despite her many medical conditions. May she rest in peace.