Matushka Mary Shafran fell asleep in the Lord Monday evening, March 31, 2025. God graced her to celebrate her 100th birthday, March 3, 2025, with adoring family members. She died peacefully of natural causes in her home in Ewing, NJ, surrounded by her loving husband of more than 77 years, the Archpriest Paul Shafran, her daughters Nina Shafran and Paula Koerte, and her devoted caregiver, Tina Lagidze.
Mary, born in Central City, PA, had humble beginnings as the eldest child of Michael and Julia (Rachko) Obletiloff, immigrants from the “Carpatho-Russian” region in Eastern Europe. The family later settled in Warren, Ohio. When she was eight years old, Mary’s father fell asleep in the Lord. Despite difficult times, her young widowed mother ensured that her four children were well cared for and steeped in the Orthodox Christian faith, regularly attending St. John the Baptist church in Warren. Mary graduated from Warren G. Harding High School in 1943.
Matushka Mary gave almost all of her life in service to the Lord and His Church, and did so with joy. In 1947, Mary was introduced by her parish priest, Father Michael Kapral, to his friend and recent graduate of St. Vladimir Orthodox Theological Seminary, Paul Shafran, who had come to Warren to assist Father Michael, also hoping to find a wonderful young woman to marry. That dream came true quickly, as Paul and Mary fell in love and were married in November 1947. Shortly thereafter, Paul was ordained to the Holy Priesthood and was assigned to serve three small parishes in rural Ohio. Matushka Mary and Father Paul endured difficult times in a home with no indoor plumbing, and a pot-belly stove for heat, but they both embraced their ministry with joy and dedication, and were well-loved by their parishioners. Matushka Mary gave birth to Paula, and in 1949, the family moved to Trenton, NJ for Father Paul’s new assignment as pastor of St. Vladimir Orthodox Church. There, Father Paul and Matushka Mary dedicated their lives together to their parish ministry for nearly six decades, and of course also to their family. As her Bishop observed, Matushka Mary was the quintessential example of what a Matushka should be.
She was known for her radiant smile, her extraordinarily sweet and generous heart, her elegance, and her gracious hospitality, which extended to numerous church hierarchs and even foreign dignitaries. She enjoyed gourmet cooking and baking, eager to have everyone enjoy delicious meals. Among her many activities and contributions to the church, she taught Sunday School, was active in the church’s social club (FROC, now FOCA), and was a stalwart member of the parish’s Assumption Altar Society, which organized fundraisers for church needs.
Matushka Mary held part-time jobs while her daughters were in school, then worked full-time at what is now Verizon Communications in Network Switching Systems until she retired. She continued to be an active and devoted partner in ministry to the parishioners of St. Vladimir Church in Trenton, alongside Father Paul, who retired much later. She and Father Paul truly loved spending time with their grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and enjoyed watching Yankees games and spending a day together at the shore.
Throughout her life, Matushka Mary never lost her deep faith and love for her Lord, God, and Savior, Jesus Christ, and that faith and love gave her strength in the face of many hardships, the greatest of which was the loss of her beloved daughter Kyra. She was a resilient and energetic “trooper,” surviving multiple illnesses. She was always ready to help people in need, and selflessly and lovingly gave her time to care for her beloved Kyra as well as her sisters Olga and Virginia, and her sister-in-law, Matushka Sonya Labowsky, during their battles with illnesses.
She was a kind, generous, loving daughter, sister, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt, great-aunt, and Godmother. In addition to Father Paul, Nina, and Paula, Matushka Mary is survived by sons-in-law Ludwig Koerte and David Griffitts, grand-daughters Andrea Koerte, Alexandra Koerte (Jonathan Donenfeld), Christina (Jonathan) Christ, Natalie and Marissa Griffitts, and great-grandchildren Elsa, Emmanuel, Jack, and Annelise, in whom she took great delight even in her final days. She is predeceased by her daughter Kyra Griffitts, her siblings Virginia-Helen (Emil) Malacky, Olga, and Andrew, and nieces Chariessa (Nicholas) Stichick and Deborah Dakunchak. She is also survived by six nieces and nephews, Gregory and Mark Malacky, Deborah (+Father Steven) Belonick, Mary (Alan) Bergeron, Daria York, and Argyra (+Deacon Gregory) Lapchuk, and several great-nieces and great-nephews.
Funeral services are as follows: Sunday, April 6, Viewing 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM, followed by a Panikhida at 6:00 PM, St. Vladimir Orthodox Church, Trenton, NJ; light refreshments to follow at Daria Hall. Monday, April 7, Viewing 9:30 AM to 10:30 AM, followed by the Funeral service at 10:30 AM, St. Vladimir Orthodox Church, Trenton, NJ; Repast to follow at Daria Hall. NOTE: These services will be livestreamed; see embedded livestream link on the parish website. Burial Tuesday, April 8, at St. Tikhon’s Monastery, Waymart, PA, 1:30 PM, followed by a light meal at the Monastery.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her memory to St. Vladimir Orthodox Church (memo: “Shafran Endowment Fund”), 812 Grand Street, Trenton, NJ, 08610.
May Matushka Mary’s memory be eternal!