First-Generation College Graduate, Mary Czyzyk, 71, Has Passed Away; Biography And Tribute To A Matriarch

Born on September 5, 1954, in Philadelphia, she was the daughter of Antonious and Anna Boules and spent her childhood in Camden. Growing up alongside her older brothers, Michael and John, she found both guidance and protection within her family, even as she navigated a difficult early life. Those challenges never defined her limits—instead, they helped shape her determination and quiet strength.

Mary went on to make history within her own family as the first to earn a college degree, graduating from La Salle University in 1976. That milestone reflected years of hard work and perseverance and became a defining achievement that opened new doors for her future.

Later that same year, she married and eventually made her home in Tabernacle, New Jersey in 1979. Family became the center of her life. She raised her two sons, Stanley and Michael, born in 1980 and 1981, with deep devotion, focusing on providing stability, encouragement, and opportunity. She stayed actively engaged in their upbringing and also gave back to her community through PTA involvement and volunteer efforts.

Mary also built a meaningful professional life as a bookkeeper and later as a certified tax preparer. She was known for her reliability and her willingness to help others make sense of their finances, often offering guidance generously to those around her.

Even after facing a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis, she met life with resilience and resolve, continuing to move forward with purpose and strength despite the challenges she faced.

She will be remembered for her perseverance, her devotion to family, and the steady love she shared throughout her life. Her influence lives on through her children and the many people she supported, taught, and inspired along the way.