Mary Agnes Grigas

"Mimi" Mary A. Grigas passed peacefully into God's loving arms Tuesday March 11th at Allied Skilled Nursing Center after a long illness. Born September 10th, 1947 in Tampa, Florida to Lt. Col. William and Agnes Kearney, Mimi arrived just prior to Hurricane George-setting the scene for her to grow into the force of nature we all knew and loved. Children of an active military pilot, Mary Kearney & her sister Kari, brothers Bobby & Billy grew up the best of friends-leaning on each other through countless moves including Erie, DC, and Japan. Fate stepped in upon the family's move to California, where she met an Air Force Staff Sergeant from Scranton, PA named Anthony "Tony" Grigas. Six months later, on October 12, 1968-in Sacramento, CA she became Mrs. Mimi Grigas. From California to New York with a brief stint in North Dakota-they settled in Clarks Summit, PA to start and raise their family. "Mom" to Elizabeth, Mary, and Tony-Mimi was the personification of Mary Poppins- with an eyebrow raise that rivaled "The Rock", and the patience of Job.Driving an RV from PA to Seattle, watching weigh-ins at Tony's fishing tournaments up & down the East Coast, camping trips, air shows in Rhinebeck, trips to Disney World, & Canada-nothing could throw Mimi off her stride.Near every weekend was spent with her closest friend Kathy & her own 3 daughters-six crazy kids ice skating, horseback riding, ballet, gymnastics, swimming, and wreaking controlled havoc at the Lackawanna Coal Mine. She worked full time, attained her Master's from the University of Scranton via night school, hand-sewed countless Halloween costumes, and brutally enforced family game night. (We're pretty sure she'd memorized multiple decks of Trivial Pursuit based on how often & soundly she'd beat our butts). Through it all, she was at every sports practice, every soccer match, every XC/track meet and every softball game. Always ready with a smile, the exact right words to say, freshly sliced oranges & undoubtedly an ill-timed holler from the stands. Divisional Controller of Spring Products at Sandvik Steel, Mimi cultivated a second work family & numerous life-long friends. She was the queen of crochet, loved her book club, theater, museums, tennis, water aerobics & her weekly mani/pedis. At 65, Mimi took up running-finishing the Scranton Half Marathon twice at the top of her bracket. Everything she did, she did well-with the exception of driving a motorcycle. After a few timid dumps of her 650- She left the driving to Tony and was content to be a passenger princess. They even rode cross country on the Harley to Las Vegas & back on spring.THAT was a one time trip, for sure. Once retired, she and Tony became Snowbirds-splitting their year between home & Wildwood, Florida until a stroke in 2018. After 4 years of home care with her devoted husband Tony by her side, Mimi returned to Clarks Summit to spend her time near her grandchildren, Maddie, Jake, Rosie, & Mimi-as well as her great granddaughter, Camilla.

Services are scheduled for Saturday, March 15th at Saint Gregory's Church, Clarks Green. Guests can be received starting at 9am with mass to begin at 10am. Graveside services to follow at Cathedral Cemetery. Mimi was preceded in death by her parents, William and Agnes Kearney, brother Robert Kearney and an infant daughter lost shortly after birth.Surviving are her husband of 56 years, Anthony Grigas, sister Karen, brother William, daughter, Elizabeth (partner Jason), daughter, Mary (spouse Wayne), and son, Anthony W. (partner Chris), grand-children Madilyn, Jacob, Rosina, & Mary Elizabeth, and great granddaughter Camilla. Family sends their heart-felt thanks to the compassionate & caring staff at Allied Skilled during her last days. We know she is again whole-health restored; sitting on the back of a fishing boat wearing one of her infamous glitter visors; line dropped in the water with a Cosmo in one hand and a fantastic book in the other.

To know her was to love her. To have loved her and been loved by her was a most precious gift.There's a huge hole in all of our hearts-left to be filled with the many, many happy memories of a life well and truly lived.