Mary Louise Bullock

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Staten Island will have an opportunity to celebrate the life of a North Shore civic leader and fierce Port Richmond advocate, on Saturday when professional artist Mary Bullock, who died Thursday at Staten Island University Hospital after a car crash, will be remembered.

She was 78.

Arrangements have been made at Casey Funeral Home, 350 Slosson Ave., Castleton Corners, for Saturday, March 9, from 2 to 6 p.m. with a memorial service at 5 p.m.

With a recently rejuvenated Port Richmond Avenue replete with street sigh memorials, her legacy in the borough persists indefinitely. It can be seen in the vibrant food scene percolating on the strip, one she respected particularly for its cultural intersections.

Mary expressed in a recent email to the Advance/Silive.com, “The connection between immigration and restaurants -- food as a gateway to, and expression of, the American Dream -- is fascinating; especially in Port Richmond, arguably the most diverse neighborhood on Staten Island, in my experience. In America we eat a more diverse cuisine than anywhere else since we are nation of immigrants. It is part of our strength.”

She also observed, “Today we are just as diverse and just as devoted to building a world in which every one of us can thrive.”

Indeed, Mary embraced the North Shore’s changing demographic and broadcasted its outstanding venues when she saw them. She wrote to the Advance/Silive.com in 2022 about San Jeronimo Restaurant and Bakery co-owner Sarahi Marquez-Sanchez, an entrepreneur with whom she took time to converse intently.

Reciprocally, Marquez-Sanchez shared the love. The proprietor lamented Mary’s loss. She said, “It’s hard to forget someone who gave us so much to remember. Mary Bullock was a distinguished leader who helped mobilize and empower the community. She will not be forgotten and her legacy will continue to live on.”

Mary championed local eateries like the new Port Market at Castleton and Port Richmond Avenue. Its blazing red facade, intense lighting and grocery section brought a fresh look and shopping option to the well-trafficked section.

Denino’s co-owner Mike Burke offered, “She was an amazing person who selflessly helped Port Richmond, especially without looking for anything in return. Preserving the history and trying to restore Port Richmond back to its golden time one block at a time. She will be missed and her shoes cannot be filled.”

Born in Detroit, Mary grew up in Edgewater, N.J. She graduated from Holy Angels Academy, Fort Lee, N.J., then received her Bachelors of Fine Arts from Pratt Institute in 1968.

Her younger sister, Susan Provenzano, said, “She always had an artistic flair — she was always drawing. She was always interested in light, the effects of light and representing that. At a young age, she was always doing her art.”

Provenzano added, “When I was a little girl, I had earaches at night. She’d tell me stories to help me fall asleep. She created these little cartoon characters — Herman, Joe and Charlie. One was made out of a coat hanger with a face. They’d go on adventures and she’d tell me stories about what they did. It would distract me and I’d fall asleep easier.”

At 10 years old, Mary’s artwork was featured in a children’s art exhibited in Grand Central Station. Provenzano said she still remembers the painted image of people walking around the station.

Her interest in light came later in her life, when she was living in Florida, said her sister.

As artistic as she was, Mary remained quite practical. After graduating, she actively followed the Big Apple art scene while working in Manhattan in the advertising and publishing industries.

Professional artist Cynthia Mailman of Stapleton said both she and Mary often moved in the same social circles. In fact, both attended Pratt.

Mailman said, “I remember seeing her work for the first time and thinking it was fabulous. Very beautiful, very well done…her work was very recognizable as her’s — her voice...her style — which is important to an artist. I know that it’s very hard to be an artist and a woman artist. She was a woman alone struggling to do her art.”

Mailman added, “She was very involved and interested in nature. She was skillful…a realist. She was trying to give her own point of view on nature and plants and things we see every day. We worry about who is going to save her work…It was colorful. Dynamic. She was supportive and positive. She knew all the artists and we all knew her.”

Mary’s family roots trace back to 1665 in Port Richmond, specifically to the Historic Dutch Reformed Church on Port Richmond Avenue. It was a building she would later champion and preserve.

Mary’s career in the newspaper business and aerospace brought her to Connecticut, Florida and Melbourne. According to Saatichiart.com where her work is catalogued, she became a full-time artist in 1993.

In 2001 she returned to Staten Island and called Port Richmond a permanent home. Eventually she found a voice as an advocate for the neighborhood.

In 2018, Mary helped establish Port Richmond Strong (now called the North Shore Alliance), a group that aggressively tackles area blight such as graffiti and illegal dumping. Over the years, she fostered many initiatives — a neighborhood watch, funding for American flags and other street decorations to be hung along on light poles on Port Richmond Avenue, plus she established a successful annual food festival.

Mary was instrumental in promoting healthy businesses in the corridor, shutting problematic bars, plus an illicit pot shop and drug operation at 207 Port Richmond Ave. She worked with elected officials and numerous city agencies to bring events like a tree lighting back to the area. Before her death, she was involved in the revival of the Cichon American Legion post at 100 Innis St., Elm Park.

Her attention to detail and ability to rally was impressive, by many standards. Last year, she cheered the Figlis family for donating a 30-foot spruce cut down from their Clinton Place property just off of Port Richmond Avenue. The tree was carried around the corner for a celebratory lighting held in the front yard of a recently renovated home, once a derelict building.

Proud of the gesture and collective effort, Mary expressed at the time, “Christian Construction, just feet away from our holiday celebration, created a tree holder deep in the concrete terrace so we can have a big tree every year. We even have next year’s tree already lined up!”

She enthused, “This is an old fashioned community holiday, all volunteer, freely given and joyously shared. Our history is honored in our values and turned into action to solve problems.”

Mario Buonviaggio of the North Shore Alliance said, “Mary voiced her opinion on decisions. It was well documented. Elected officials need to accept criticism. And she didn’t mince words. And that was always Mary. She was always at the helm. She made the approvals at any speech, any rally, any letter.”

Buonviaggio continued, “I look back from before I met her. She’s been doing advocacy work under different forums — Mount Manresa, the art world in Manhattan...so this is not her first go-around being an advocate of people. Preservation was a key issue for her.”

Mary was an avid reader of the Staten Island Advance/SILIVE.com. In fact, she kept on top of all media coverage for the area between NPR mentions and restaurant reviews in various publications. Any glimmer of a threat to the neighborhood’s fabric and future zoomed onto her radar. Her style might be expressed as firm, yet with a calm class that yielded results.

Buonviaggio said, “She kept politicians on their toes . . . Her comments were, ‘What were they thinking? What are they smoking? Why would they agree with such a thing?’ She would respond with a letter. But she would continue to remain friends with them.”

In a 2021 imbroglio, for instance, former Councilmember Debi Rose appeared to have ignored a street renaming for Bart Giove, the late owner of Brothers Pizza. A subsequent storm brewed among the Port Richmond Strong rank and file with Mary’s disapproval so noted. The street renaming happened about one year later.

Buonviaggio promised the Port Richmond civic group indeed will stay strong. He avowed, “This organization is not going anywhere. Mary will be president of the civic group posthumously and she’ll always have that seat. Her name will always appear on all correspondence with all city, state and federal agencies on behalf of the neighborhood.”

In Mary’s final correspondence this year with the Advance/SILive.com she responded to wide-spread reports and subsequent outrage about a marijuana dispensary coming to West Brighton in the home of two established businesses.

She noted in an email, “If this unfortunate action does move forward, Port Richmond North Shore Alliance would absolutely welcome these two businesses along our slowly improving Commercial Corridor on Port Richmond Avenue.”

Mary vowed, “As a civic group we would walk them through a seamless transition with attractive leasing terms where they will never find anywhere on Staten Island. We embrace clean, bright, healthy and family oriented-businesses and clean operators.”

Mary is survived by sisters Catherine Koski and Susan Provenzano, and two nephews.

In lieu of flowers, the family requested donations to Port Richmond North Shore Alliance. Checks can be mailed to the civic group’s headquarters at 31 Port Richmond Ave. or sent through PortRichmondStrong.com.