Obituary of Mary Alice Pierson

Mary Alice Pierson Major, USMC (Ret.) Mary Alice Pierson, 90, died on December 19, 2025. She was predeceased by her father, Francis James Pierson, and her mother, Alice Donnelly Pierson. They were the foundation in building Mary's character. As she said many times, "Such perfect parents are truly gifts from God." She said her greatest joy, at death, was to join them in Heaven. If anyone could be generous to a fault, that person was Mary. She never saw or met a needy person she didn't give money to. She never missed a birthday, anniversary or or special occasions. She sent crisp, new two-dollar bills to her numerous nieces and nephews on birthdays and holidays, and larger donations – many times much larger – to other relatives and friends. Mary had remarkable and successful careers in both the military and education. She served in the Marine Corps as an FAA-licensed air traffic controller from 1954-57 as the Control Tower Non-Commissioned CO, and from 1963-1980 as the Radar Control Officer, during which time she was promoted through the ranks from first lieutenant to major. Mary was stationed on the East and West coasts of the USA, plus Hawaii and Japan and served during the Korean and Vietnam wars. Earlier, in 1957, Mary attended Harpur College (now Binghamton University) and then worked at NYSE&G as a telephone switchboard operator. In 1959, she attended Cortland State Teachers' College, where she graduated as a 2nd. Lt. in June, 1963, as part of her participation in the Reserve Officers Training Corps (R.O.T.C.). The Marine Corps paid for much of her college costs, and Mary agreed to serve three years as a Marine officer. She did that and more, serving a total of 17 years as an officer. Upon her retirement from the Marine Corps with the rank of major, Mary earned her certification as a licensed practical nurse and worked at the Rivermede Manor Nursing Home. She also taught 7th and 9th grade English classes at Whitney Point. What she called the highlight of her life, however, was the decade she spent teaching "her kids" at the St. Thomas Aquinas School. There, she was honored as "The Outstanding Teacher of the Year 1993 for the Southern Area of the Syracuse Diocese" and as "The Binghamton Citizen of the Week." She said, however, that the greatest satisfaction for her was the accomplishments of "her kids." She cherished the many times former students, now married with children of their own, would recognize her on the street and thank her for being such a loving and helpful teacher. Since she had no children of her own, her students were her "children." She also was the one who was steeped in the genealogy of the family's ancestors, from their origins in Ireland to their productive lives in Binghamton. Turns out she now holds the record for being the oldest in her family tree – 90. Mary especially wanted to thank two close friends who cared for her for extended times and were invaluable to her and family members when she was hospitalized after falling in her Duffy Court apartment and having to have a blood clot on her brain removed. The surgery was successful, but she lost some memory. The close friends are Elaine Habla and Janet Williamson, her downstairs neighbor at Duffy Court. And also many thanks to her devout and friendly pastor, Monsignor Putano, who kept track of Mary's health. She spoke fondly of her brothers, the late Francis Pierson and Joseph, who Mary said were her pillars of strength on Earth. Mary is survived by Fran's widow, Judith, and their daughters, Jennifer (Pat) and their daughter, Mackenzie; Kathleen Dowen (Steve) and their sons, Jacob, Brandon, and Derek; and son, Michael Francis; Stephen (Julie) and their children, Steve (Denise) and their twins, Connor and Kaylin, and Janice (Justin) and their daughter, Shea Lauren, and Janice's son, Maverick, (Brad); Thomas (Allison) and their children, April and Joseph Edward; Kevin (Sheila) and their sons, Ryan and Michael, and Kevin's fiancé, Ann Marie King; Christopher (Katie) and their daughters, Riley, Corrine and Delaney, and Daniel (Eileen) and their son, John. A Funeral Mass will be offered at St. Thomas Aquinas Church, Highland Avenue, Binghamton, Monday, January 5, 2026 at 11 a.m. Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery, Johnson City. The family will receive friends at the J.A. McCormack Sons Funeral Home, 141 Main Street, Binghamton, Sunday January 4, 2026 from 1 to 3 p.m. Anyone wishing to make a donation in Mary's name may do so to the Memorial Fund of St. Thomas Aquinas Church, 1 Aquinas Street, Binghamton, NY 13905. The Mass will be live streamed at www.sta-sp.org