Molly Fudge Mastrangelo

Molly F. Mastrangelo passed away on June 27, 2023 at age 87 surrounded by her family and with equanimity and grace, following a cancer diagnosis in mid-April of this year. Molly Weston Fudge was born in upstate NY, the eldest child of Russell and Florence (Bray) Fudge. She was born into an extended family of artists, physicians, architects, and engineers at a time when the effects of Great Depression lingered, and scientific research was making huge strides. Molly lived with purpose and curiosity throughout her life, avidly pursuing knowledge, new experiences, and friendships. She was equally comfortable in the company of artists or scientists. Throughout her full life, Molly dedicated herself to advancements in genetics and teaching science. She sailed, painted, drew, and sculpted, rode horses, mentored science fair students, gardened, travelled widely, spoke fluent Italian, observed and documented birds, trees and flowers, raised three daughters (and quite a few goats), and extended her love of the natural world to those around her. Molly grew up in Manlius, NY, the eldest daughter with two brothers, and attended Manlius High School (now Fayetteville Manlius). During summers, she sailed on Tully Lake and worked as a lifeguard. After school, she and her friend would take the bus to the riding stables until she had a horse of her own. She attended Mt Holyoke College graduating in 1957 Phi Beta Kappa with a bachelor degree in zoology and was active in the theatre department as a stage manager. She pursued her graduate studies at Yale University. As part of her doctoral research, she received a National Science Foundation grant to conduct research on the role of a certain amino enzyme on the development of sea urchin embryos (work that contributed to knowledge of how organisms develop). Her research took her to Uppsala University in Sweden and the Stazione Zoologica (Zoology Research Lab) in Italy. While in Naples, she met her husband, Giovanni Mastrangelo, the love of her life. They were married in 1959. Molly earned her Ph.D. in Biology in 1965. Her research was published in the Journal of Experimental Zoology in 1966. Spending their early married life in Naples, Molly and Giovanni returned to the States, living first in New Haven, CT, a short time in the Philippines during the Vietnam War, and later in Cumberland, MD, where she and Giovanni thrived for more than 40 years. Her daughter, Teresa, was born in New Haven, her daughter, Alice, was born in the Philippines, and her daughter, Dilla, was born in Cumberland. A full-time Mom, Molly was active in Community Action, the League of Women Voters, and advocated for a low-environmental impact highway route through Allegany County (now Interstate Route 68), while caring for an active bevy of girls, goats, cats, dogs, horses, and garden. Missing a life of science and research, she reentered scientific life in her 40s as a faculty member at Allegany College of Maryland (ACM) where she taught health sciences. She also collaborated on genetic research as a fellow at the National Cancer Institute in Frederick, MD. Her contributions to methods for genetic research were published in Genetics and Molecular and Cellular Biology journals. She retired from ACM in 1997 and was awarded the title of Professor Emeritus for excellence in teaching and commitment to her students. She and Giovanni lived for many years on a farm in Flintstone where together they gardened, enjoyed the birds, did carpentry, and tended cats, dogs, goats, and horses. Molly was an avid reader and learner, keeping an annual written journal and sketch books about the comings and goings of flowers in bloom and the arrival of ducks on the pond. She loved riding, and often spent many hours on her horse Belle, exploring the woods in Green Ridge State Forest. Enjoying all Maryland had to offer, she and Giovanni enjoyed sailing with friends on the Chesapeake Bay, owning several boats over 20 years. They also loved to travel, both abroad and to Maine and the American West; they revisited Italy to connect with family and friends. She was thrilled to become a Grandmommy (known to some as Capa) and relished moments to teach, sing, paint, and play with her seven grandchildren. Family was always near, from her in-laws to her grandchildren, and family gatherings frequent. Molly and Giovanni loved Cumberland and Flintstone where they built friendships that lasted a lifetime. While she was a lifelong artist and learned to draw by watching her father at a young age, Molly deepened her skill after retirement. She studied at the John C. Campbell School for the Folk Arts, at the Art Students League in New York City, and at the Art League School in Virginia. After Giovanni’s death, Molly rekindled her passion for painting as she and a community of artists in Cumberland spent many hours painting in studio and outdoors. She explored portraiture, plein air (outdoor) landscapes, and journaling with illuminated lettering working with oils, pen and ink, and watercolors. Molly’s most recent reinvention of herself was in a move to McLean, Virginia in 2016, where she immediately developed a new circle of art friends (many of them retired scientists themselves). After moving to Virginia, she added sculpture to her emerging focus on portraits. Her works were accepted into several shows, including at the Torpedo Factory, from Mountain to Marina in Annapolis, and at the Allegany Arts Council. She received several prizes for her work. In her later years, Molly practiced Pilates and continued singing, first with the Cumberland Choral Society and later with the choir at St Peter’s Episcopal Church in Arlington. She reviewed scholarship applications for high school science teachers and for college students with the condition of hydrocephalus. Active in environmental protection, she volunteered with HomeGround, promoting and conserving the natural assets of Allegany County, Maryland. She continued to travel, to join mini-reunions with her Mt. Holyoke classmates, and attended as many sports games, dance recitals, musical, and theatrical performances of her grandchildren as possible. Her family will remember her as a woman before her time, traveling and pursuing a Ph.D. while nurturing her creative spirit. She was a loving Mom, grandmother, and sister, always willing to chat, text, and listen. Her curiosity was infectious and conversations meaningful. She was extraordinarily modest, brilliant, dedicated, resourceful, and determined. She was willing to try new endeavors, and taught us that having both an artistic and scientific mindset was possible and indeed, an asset. Friends describe her as authentic, centered, positive, and deceptively courageous. Not only did she teach about what she saw, but was a scribe and family archivist to preserve her discoveries for our future. She lived a full life of joy, loyalty, honesty, and integrity above all. Molly is preceded in death by her husband, Giovanni, her granddaughter Julia Rose, nephew Gerard Fudge, and her Mastrangelo in-laws. She is survived by her daughter Teresa, son-in-law Eric Bendickson, and their three children, Justine, Graham, and Maria; her daughter, Alice, son-in-law, Andrew Gittler and their two children Daniel and Evan; daughter Dilla and her two children Bryce and Molly; her brother Russell Fudge, his wife Emily and daughter Rachel and her brother Donald Fudge, his wife Dorla and their children Coley and Tracey. Services We invite all to a service honoring Molly’s life on Friday, July 14, 2023 at 10:30 AM at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church located at 4250 N Glebe Rd, Arlington, VA. The service will be livestreamed. For friends in Cumberland, the family will be receiving guests on Saturday, July 15th from 2:00 to 4:00 PM at Adams Funeral Home located at 404 Decatur Street Cumberland, MD. In place of flowers, please consider a donation in Molly’s honor to: 1. Community Trust Foundation, Inc., Allegany County Maryland. https://ctfinc.org/give/opportunities-to-give/ CTF has a family of funds address a broad range of community issues and interest in the areas of education, culture, and wellness in Allegany County, from programs that help meet basic needs and services for all segments of the community to those that that embrace and encourage life long learning in the region and increase the knowledge base of the community. 2. Mt. Holyoke College. https://www.mtholyoke.edu/giving Your gift to The Mount Holyoke Fund has a direct effect on every aspect of campus life—providing funds to recruit and retain the best faculty, financially supporting our students, updating state-of-the-art learning environments, and keeping Mount Holyoke’s 800-acre campus beautiful. 3. The Art League. https://www.theartleague.org/support/giving/ The League is a multifaceted visual arts organization that meets its mission of nurturing the artist through education, exhibition, and a stimulating, supportive environment, while sharing the experience of the visual arts with the community.