Mary S. Gehman

Mary Storb Gehman, of New Holland, passed away peacefully at the age of 83 on Saturday, June 15 at Lancaster General Hospital, surrounded by her loving family, to whom she gave so much love throughout her life.

Born in New Holland, she was the daughter of the late Lewis M. and Elizabeth Baumler Storb.

She graduated from New Holland High School in 1947, and received her Bachelors of Nursing degree from the Catholic University of America in 1951. She was the school nurse at Garden Spot High School from the school’s founding in 1959 until her retirement in 1993. She previously worked as a nurse at Ephrata Community Hospital and for Dr. Michael Lauria of Terre Hill.

Mary was a member of Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church.

She was an accomplished bridge player, achieving the rank of Life Master. Mary was active in numerous duplicate bridge clubs throughout Lancaster County and in her hometown of New Holland, and shared her love of the game with all who knew her. In addition to card clubs, in her later years she continued to play in nightly competitive online bridge tournaments.

She was a loyal Philadelphia Phillies and Eagles fan. Mary shared her love of reading with friends and family, and was rarely seen without a book.

The real joy of her life, however, was her family, to whom she devoted herself tirelessly. Rare was the concert, school play, or sporting event of her children or grandchildren where she was not in attendance, offering her limitless support. No holiday meal or birthday celebration was complete without Grammom’s sour cream cookies, icebox cake, or pumpkin bread. Rivaling Santa Claus in the Christmas spirit of giving, Mary put her unmatched love and energy into making the holiday special for everyone.

She is survived by her two sons, M. Gregory, married to Karolyn Gehman, Manheim, and Dr. Gary S., married to Laura Gehman, Lancaster; her 12 grandchildren: Mike, Chris, Lisa, Sandy, Eric, Danielle, Rebecca, Sarah, Rachael, Joshua, Jessica, and Adam; a great grandson, Christian; and her brother John W. Storb, of Warminster, PA. Mary was preceded in death by her brother, Dr. George J. Storb.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday, June 22 at 1 p.m. at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, 150 Water St., New Holland with Fr. Pang J. S. Tcheou as celebrant. Interment will be in Trinity Lutheran Cemetery. A visitation will be held at the Beck Funeral Home, 315 E. Main St., New Holland on Friday from 6 – 8 p.m. and Saturday from 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Online condolences and memories may be posted at www.beckfuneral.com.