Mary E. Custin (nee O’Brien) age 98, a long time resident of the Packanack Lake section of Wayne, died peacefully at home on Wednesday, January 30, 2013.

She was born and raised in Brooklyn New York. Her earliest memories in Brooklyn revolved around her 6 older and 1 younger sisters and brothers all packed into a single family apartment near Prospect Park. With the family gathering around the oldest sister Alice at the grand piano, the O'Briens would all sing familiar songs that she kept with her for a lifetime. She even got to attend a few games at the nearby Brooklyn Dodgers Ballpark when it was Ladies day for 25 cents with her two brothers! Summers were spent at her Aunt Olivia's home in Amelia Virginia. Mary had many wonderful memories of her time spent in Virginia from age 7 to 15, playing with friends there, and enjoying a very different Southern lifestyle from her native Brooklyn. She was blessed with having experienced both an urban and a rural lifestyle while growing up as a child. All 8 of the O'brien siblings got together for one "Last Roundup" in 1982 at the home of Mary's younger Sister Elizabeth located in rural Colorado. Many photos were taken and memories shared of all their days together in Brooklyn. It was a special moment in time for all 8 O'brien family members, and a weekend that Mary treasured for the rest of her life. Mary's gifted and talented siblings included the late Alice O'Brien Donovan of Erie, PA, Sister Dorothy O'Brien of the Cenacle, Sister Miriam Therese Eleanor O'Brien of the Sisters of Saint Joseph, Claire O'Brien Halfpenny of Westbury New York, Stephen L. O'Brien of Miller Place New York, Thomas O'Brien of Santa Barbarbra CA, and Elizabeth O'Brien Moynihan of Colorado. Mary was the last surviving member of this wonderful family.

Mary graduated a year early from Bishop McDonnell High School in Brooklyn with the Class of 1931. She and her friends created a group they called the "Junior Optimist Club". Mary had many fond memories of those years and retained many pictures of all the group members having fun at work and play. They wrote prose, created keepsakes, and just enjoyed each others company all through High School. After graduation, Mary was accepted to Cooper Union Art School, but her Mother had other plans! It was the depression era, and it was decided that Mary had to join the workforce. She worked hard choosing the difficult task of trying to juggle both a day job, and also attending night school at nearby Brooklyn College. She studied Art, French and took courses in shorthand.

Mary’s first job was at the Abraham & Strauss Department Store in New York City as a greeter. She later worked at Tudor City, an upscale apartment complex, where one of her jobs was to run routine background checks on the references listed on applications. One application she checked on involved the family of noted playwright Neil Simon. His family had listed the famous Elsa Maxwell, the queen of Etiquette at the time, as their reference. When Mary called Elsa to check the Simon family's reference, Elsa was curt and to the point stating "dearie, He’s OK". When Mary pressed on with her standard questionnaire, she was stopped short by Elsa who reiterated "dearie, I SAID he’s ok" and then the queen of etiquette hung up on her! Mary's most rewarding employment came later on when she worked as an executive secretary to the owner of International Minerals and Metals in New York City. Her career in the working world ended in 1943 at International when, after marrying her husband John a year earlier, they decided put aside her job and begin a new life dedicating herself to raising a family- her first of 5 children starting in 1943.

Mary met her husband to be John F. Custin on a chaperoned weekend to the Lincoln Dude Ranch in Carmel New York in 1937. John was working as a ranch hand, although he grew up in Brooklyn as well. They soon fell in love and married at Saint Rose of Lima Church in Brooklyn on Valentines Day in 1942. They honeymooned at Niagara Falls New York, and had fifty-five years of devoted marriage. As they shopped for furniture on December 7, 1941 they heard of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. John was drafted into the United States Army and was sent to Fort Sam Houston Texas. Mary soon had her first child named Virginia, and promptly followed John to Texas, much to the dismay of her mother who said "Don’t take that beautiful baby to Texas."

In 1946 the family moved from Brooklyn NY to 1 Maple Street in Lincoln Park New Jersey. After a huge flood in 1952, where she watched her wedding dress and John’s accordion float down the Passaic River, they decided to move to higher ground in Wayne. They were offered lakefront property on Packanack Lake, but after seeing enough water for a lifetime, they chose instead a house located up from the lake. While living in Lincoln Park they were parishioners of Holy Cross RC Church in the Mountain View section of Wayne. It is from here they followed Monsignor Scully from Holy Cross Parish to the new parish that was being planned for Packanack named The Immaculate Heart of Mary Church that he was forming. They attended Mass at the Packanack School in Wayne while the new church was being built, and were active parishioners at Immaculate Heart of Mary RC Church in Wayne for many years.

Mary was a very dedicated mother who was always there for her children. She was an expert at helping with homework, but John was the cook in the kitchen. She was there to fix cuts and scrapes and John was there doing the grocery shopping. They worked very well together to raise their five children. Mary used her business acumen to help a young Dr. Chilton by going door to door soliciting donations for a new hospital to be built in Pequannock. As a matter of fact Dr. Chilton, known then as "Uncle Chilty" to his patients, personally picked up Mary from her home in Lincoln park and drove her to Passaic General Hospital to deliver two of her children! Her work helped to build the Chilton Memorial Hospital in Pequannock. Her artistic flair was on display in the Immaculate Heart of Mary School all through the 1960s. Mary donated much of her time and talents as the main provider of all the wonderful poster artwork that was displayed on the rear bulletin boards of each classroom during those early years at IHM.

Mary was the loving wife of fifty-five years to the late John F. Custin(1997) who many will fondly remember driving his yellow Nash Rambler around Wayne. She was the devoted mother of Virginia Strain and her husband Ronald of Levelgreen, PA, Nancy Custin of Newport, RI, Melissa Kerins of Middletown, RI, John M. Custin of Wayne, and Christopher Custin of Wayne; cherished grandmother of Erin Ehrenfeld, Jill Strain, Bowen Kerins, Abbey Kerins, and Megan Kerins; loved great-grandmother of Rylan and Brody Ehrenfeld, and Aaron Kerins; she was the dear sister, and last surviving member of seven O'Brien siblings.