Mary Ann Gitzendanner

Mary Ann Gitzendanner, 81, of Downingtown, PA, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, May 12 in the comfort of her home. She was the beloved wife of Charles Gitzendanner for 58 years.

Born in East Williston, NY, she was the daughter of the late Edward E. Smith and Ruth C. Smith.

Mary Ann attended Mineola High School where she was a cheerleader and dated Charlie Gitzendanner, a football player. She attended Connecticut College and married Charlie in 1961 at Nassau Country Club.

Mary Ann and Charlie lived in New York City; Philadelphia, PA; and Bloomfield Hills, MI before moving in 1970 to their permanent home in Downingtown, PA. For more than 20 years, Mary Ann volunteered at the Visiting Nurse Association (VNA) where she served on the Board. For her next venture, she spent almost two decades providing administrative support to various counselors at Wayne Counseling Center. She loved working there and especially enjoyed interacting with the clients.

Whitford Country Club was Mary Ann's second home, where she played a lot of golf as well as tennis and paddle tennis. She had a green thumb (which none of her girls inherited) and loved gardening. She was a member of the First Presbyterian Church in West Chester.

Mary Ann is survived by her husband Charlie; daughters Lesley (Jamie) Carroll, Susan (Joe) Pink, and Cathy (Tim) McClatchy; seven grandchildren; niece Tara Draper and nephew Robert Shenk.

All services will be held privately.

In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Mary Ann can be made to The Chester County Hospital Foundation, Penn Medicine Hospice, 701 E Marshall Street, West Chester PA 19380 or made online at https://www.cchosp.com/onlinegiving.asp. All gifts in honor of Mary Ann will be designated to home health (visiting nurses).

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