Mary J. Conrad

Mary Jowell Conrad, age 83, of Hatfield, formerly of Lansdale, passed away on June 16, 2024.

She was the beloved wife of Richard Conrad for 62 years. Born in Philadelphia, Mary was the daughter of the late Walter (Joe) and Blanche (nee Slizofski) Jowell.

Raised in the North Philadelphia neighborhood known as Swampoodle and later Roxborough, Mary attended St. Columba's School and  graduated in the Top Ten of John W. Hallahan Catholic Girls' High School's class of 1959.

After high school, she worked at First Pennsylvania Bank and later the Balis Company as a secretary. She married her junior prom date in 1962,  and they settled in Northeast Philadelphia. In 1977, Mary and Rich moved their family to the suburban frontier of Upper Gwynedd.

Once her children were in school, Mary worked for W.A. Gregory & Co. and IMS. She eventually landed at Merck, where she worked for 22 years. Eventually, as a regional office administrator, her organizational skills were put to great use, arranging national sales meetings. Mary also coordinated an annual adopt-a-family project at Christmastime and organized afternoon teas with a theme for her coworkers.

Mary devoted her leisure hours to organizing high school reunions, researching her family history, and planning her next excursion. Mary and her husband spent 30 years traveling the world, visiting Poland, Germany, England, Scotland, France, Scandinavia, Italy, Switzerland, and many other destinations. They also cruised the Panama Canal, Hawaii, Alaska, and the Mediterranean.

If she had to be known for one thing, Mary would like to be famous for being perhaps the last woman in America without a cell phone.

In addition to her husband, Mary is survived by daughter Joanne McHugh and her husband Manus of Harleysville; son Richard Joseph Conrad and his wife Cathy of Harleysville; and three grandchildren–Cassandra, Susannah, and Meredith McHugh. She is also survived by her brother Edward Jowell.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend Mary's visitation on Wednesday, June 26, 2024 at 9:30 AM, followed by her Funeral Mass at 11:00 AM at Corpus Christi Church, 900 Sumneytown Pike, Lansdale, PA.

Internment will be at St. John Neumann Cemetery in Chalfont.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Mary's memory to The Oratory at St. Francis Xavier, 2321 Green Street, Philadelphia, PA 19130.