Mary Teklits

Mary J. Teklits, 97, of Port Jefferson Station, New York, passed away peacefully on January 7th, 2025. Mary J. Teklits was born in Szentpeterfa, Hungary on December 4th, 1927. She is the daughter of the late John Teklits and the late Mary (Hirschl) Teklits. Mary is survived by her sister, Anne Balvin, her niece Sherri (Balvin) Guthrie and her husband Charles Guthrie, grandnieces Carla Guthrie and Kimberly Guthrie and loving friends and family. 

Mary came to the United States when she was 10 years old and lived in Manhattan where she enjoyed growing up. Mary was a devout catholic and when she was 16, she followed her childhood dream and became a nun, joining the Carmelites for The Aged and Infirm order. She became a nurse while in the order. She served her novitiate at St. Patrick's home in the Bronx. 

After her profession, Mary was transferred to locations in a variety of states. In 1970, she left the order and briefly lived with her sister in Queens. Mary and her sister decided to buy a home in Port Jefferson Station together. They were joined by their father and her niece. They lived there together for 53 years. While in Port Jefferson Station, Mary worked at Mather and St. Charles hospital and also did private duty caring for many people. 

Mary loved gardening and spent many hours planting, trimming and weeding her flowers, often forgoing lunch because she couldn’t leave her prized greenery. Mary will be greatly missed. All arrangements have been entrusted to the Moloney Family Funeral Homes, 523 Route 112, Port Jefferson Station, NY 11776. Celebration of the Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11am on Saturday, January 18th, 2025 at Infant Jesus Church, 110 Myrtle Ave, Port Jefferson, NY 11777. The family requests any gifts given in her memory be made as donations to the Carmelite Sisters For the Aged and Infirm Germantown, NY. Carmelite Sisters For The Aged And Infirm Donate