Mary Stamos Obituary
Mary Stamos, 80, of Harrisburg, passed away peacefully on Monday, February 19 at The Gardens at Camp Hill.
A beloved mother, sister, aunt, friend and passionate advocate for the environment and peace, Mary was born August 2, 1943, in Cambridge, Mass., and was the daughter of the late George and Evangeline (Stamoulis) Stamos. She was preceded in death by her son, Nicholas Ray Osborn.
Mary was a decades-long member of Three Mile Island Alert (TMIA) and served on its Planning Council, joining the organization after the nuclear accident at Three Mile Island in 1979. She conducted door-to-door surveys as part of the 1984 Voluntary Community Health Study, documented increased cancer incidences and mortalities, and became internationally recognized for collecting hundreds of deformed and mutated plants. She was interviewed by international media and documentarians and has made dozens of presentations about the health and environmental effects of the TMI accident in Europe, Asia, and throughout America.
In recognition of the unique value of botanical specimens she collected from the Three Mile Island area and categorized with the help of TMIA volunteers, part of her collection was accepted by the Smithsonian Institution's Natural History Museum. Under the care of staff in the Department of Botany, the specimens were accepted to be made available for Smithsonian scientists and other researchers who wish to examine them for their relevance to the Three Mile Island event of 1979.
Surviving is her daughter, Leslie O. Amoros and her husband, Abraham; four grandchildren, Alessandra Amoros, Sabrina Amoros, Kevin Osborn and Shane Osborn; two sisters, Elizabeth I. Stamos and Helen Sheaffer, and Helen's husband David Sheaffer; three brothers, Nickolas G. Stamos and his wife Doris Stamos, James Stamos and William Stamos; two nieces, Amanda L. Carricato and Gina M. Smith and her husband Thomas Smith; and many family members and friends across the world.
A graduate of Harrisburg Area Community College, Mary worked at Aetna and Millers Mutual Insurance Company before serving as a paralegal for a few law practices in Harrisburg and Lancaster. She was a friendly face to many as a cashier at Harrisburg Transit News and loved sharing her Greek culture and rice pudding with family and friends.
In addition to her advocacy, she will be remembered for her kindness and compassion, her love of nature, classic films and the Beatles.
A Memorial Service will be held at 1 p.m. Friday, March 1 in Neill Funeral Home, 3501 Derry St., Harrisburg. Burial will be in East Harrisburg Cemetery. A visitation will be from Noon, Friday until the time of the service at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be sent to Three Mile Island Alert, 315 Peffer Street, Harrisburg, PA 17102. www.pennlive.com/obits
A beloved mother, sister, aunt, friend and passionate advocate for the environment and peace, Mary was born August 2, 1943, in Cambridge, Mass., and was the daughter of the late George and Evangeline (Stamoulis) Stamos. She was preceded in death by her son, Nicholas Ray Osborn.
Mary was a decades-long member of Three Mile Island Alert (TMIA) and served on its Planning Council, joining the organization after the nuclear accident at Three Mile Island in 1979. She conducted door-to-door surveys as part of the 1984 Voluntary Community Health Study, documented increased cancer incidences and mortalities, and became internationally recognized for collecting hundreds of deformed and mutated plants. She was interviewed by international media and documentarians and has made dozens of presentations about the health and environmental effects of the TMI accident in Europe, Asia, and throughout America.
In recognition of the unique value of botanical specimens she collected from the Three Mile Island area and categorized with the help of TMIA volunteers, part of her collection was accepted by the Smithsonian Institution's Natural History Museum. Under the care of staff in the Department of Botany, the specimens were accepted to be made available for Smithsonian scientists and other researchers who wish to examine them for their relevance to the Three Mile Island event of 1979.
Surviving is her daughter, Leslie O. Amoros and her husband, Abraham; four grandchildren, Alessandra Amoros, Sabrina Amoros, Kevin Osborn and Shane Osborn; two sisters, Elizabeth I. Stamos and Helen Sheaffer, and Helen's husband David Sheaffer; three brothers, Nickolas G. Stamos and his wife Doris Stamos, James Stamos and William Stamos; two nieces, Amanda L. Carricato and Gina M. Smith and her husband Thomas Smith; and many family members and friends across the world.
A graduate of Harrisburg Area Community College, Mary worked at Aetna and Millers Mutual Insurance Company before serving as a paralegal for a few law practices in Harrisburg and Lancaster. She was a friendly face to many as a cashier at Harrisburg Transit News and loved sharing her Greek culture and rice pudding with family and friends.
In addition to her advocacy, she will be remembered for her kindness and compassion, her love of nature, classic films and the Beatles.
A Memorial Service will be held at 1 p.m. Friday, March 1 in Neill Funeral Home, 3501 Derry St., Harrisburg. Burial will be in East Harrisburg Cemetery. A visitation will be from Noon, Friday until the time of the service at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be sent to Three Mile Island Alert, 315 Peffer Street, Harrisburg, PA 17102. www.pennlive.com/obits
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