Mary Ayala

Mary Ayala, 93, passed away Monday, October 31, 2022 at her home of Atria at Crossroads Place in Waterford, CT. She was born November 23, 1928 in Italy to Philip and Rosa (Pavia) Paradiso and came to America when she was 4 years old. She was preceded in death by her parents and her older brother, Joseph Paradiso.

In 1941, she married Julius John Ayala. They had four children during their 27-year marriage.

Mary worked in medical offices most of her life. Her last position was as the office manager for podiatrist Dr. Steven Colsen in Waterford where she worked for 30 years, forming lifelong friendships with many of the patients.

Mary was a longtime member of St. Agnes Catholic Church in Niantic. Together with Claire Walsh, she began a Prayer Shawl Ministry which made and distributed hundreds of shawls to people needing comfort. She was also an active member of the Women’s Club and the Resurrection Choir and as a Eucharistic Minister, she gave communion to those living at Bridebrook Nursing Home.

Her dedication to others didn’t end there. Mary was the Treasurer of Friends of Harkness for many years and attended legislative meetings to release dedicated funds for the maintenance of the mansion. She also enjoyed serving tea at the annual Tea Party and attended many gatherings and parties at the Harkness Mansion – even dressing in a flapper dress for a Great Gatsby party!

An animal activist and supporter of animal rights, Mary often wrote to government and legislative agencies to end testing on animals and encourage stronger laws regarding animal abuse. She was very generous in her donations to animal causes and the family often joked that our animal “siblings” were receiving our inheritance. In truth, we are very proud of the support and love that she gave to animals all over the world. She helped form the Animal Rescue Fund (ARF) which rescued animals and placed them in no-kill shelters. Mary could often be seen walking with her favorite pet, Maggie, a border collie, at Harkness or the local park. They were best friends for 10 years. She then rescued Solo, a one-eyed cat, with a life-expectancy of a few weeks. Under her loving care, Solo lived a wonderful, spoiled life for 18 years.

She is survived by her four children, Rosemary (Fred) Conley, Julius John Ayala Jr., James Ayala, Michael (Annette) Ayala; her grandchildren, Joshua (Rebecca) Nichols, Rebecca Nichols, Jeff (Lauren) Nichols, Nicholas (Adriana) Ayala, Dylan (Dora) Ayala, Kaitlyn Ayala, Brian (Beth) Conley and Jason (Claire) Robinson. The “Grandma with the red hair” especially enjoyed sharing holidays and receiving “hugs and smooches” from her eleven great-grandchildren.

Calling hours are from 5-7:00 p.m. Friday, Nov. 18 at Fulton-Theroux Funeral Home, 13 Lake Ave., Niantic. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held Saturday, Nov 19 at 11:00 a.m. at St. Agnes Catholic Church, 22 Haigh Ave., Niantic.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to St. Agnes Church, 22 Haigh St, Niantic, CT 06357 or PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), 501 Front St., Norfolk, VA 23510.