Marie Zafron

She was was born on January 23, 1934, in Tinton Falls, N.J., to George and Connie Gerace.

From her early life, she remembered King George V and Queen Elizabeth’s visit to Tinton Falls when they visited the United States. Marie and her classmates made paper Union Jacks in celebration of the occasion.

A child of the Great Depression, Marie moved with her parents to Buffalo’s West Side at age 6. She was the eldest of three children, and was devoted to her sister, Victoria, and brother, George. When Vicki was young, she and Marie would play school and Marie would be the teacher. She attended Buffalo’s School No. 1, and in 1947 she was awarded the Jesse Ketchum Medal, honoring outstanding local eighth-graders. A gifted student, Marie attended Grover Cleveland High School. She went to D’Youville College and then to Canisius College, where she earned a master’s degree in history and education. She taught at Bennett High School for twelve years.

Marie met her future husband, Leo Zafron, at a dance in 1966, and it was love at first sight. They married in 1967 and were devoted to each other until his sudden and unexpected death in 2005. Marie was a loving mother of her two children, Michelle and Mark. She was a tireless advocate for her children, a skilled homemaker, and an amazing cook, with the ability to make leftovers into culinary works of art. She made fancy cakes for birthday parties, and made not only her kids' clothes, but her daughter's dolls' clothes as well.

During retirement, Marie and Leo began traveling, which had been a lifelong wish. Marie would often find local and regional places of interest from articles in the paper and the couple would make special trips to investigate. Marie also found a great deal of fulfillment in her work with several retired teachers associations.

Marie was a fiercely independent woman. She lived her life the way she wanted to, often to her children's chagrin. To the end, she read the newspaper every single day and kept up with current events. She adored shows like PBS' Masterpiece Theatre and Mystery.

She was an extremely social person. She was one of the last surviving members of a group of women friends who have met up together every month since college. Her children often joked that she had more of a social life than the two of them put together.

Marie died peacefully in her home.

Preceding her in death are her husband Leo Zafron, her parents George and Connie Gerace, her brother George, her sister Victoria Roskwitalski, and her brother-in-law Raymond Roskwitalski, Sr. She is survived by her children, Michelle Zafron and Mark Zafron, and nephew Raymond Roskwitalski, Jr. She also leaves behind many stalwart friends. She will be very much missed.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Marie’s memory to Hearts and Hands, 8612 Main Street, Suite 3, Williamsville, New York 14221, or at https://crm.bloomerang.co/HostedDonation?ApiKey=pub_4d1d5564-0656-11ea-ae9f-02c84ba2543a&WidgetId=2850816.