Mary Brady Cleworth, 76, of Greenwich, CT and Vero Beach, Fla. passed away peacefully on April 2, 2019 at her home in Vero Beach.
Mary was born in Manhattan, N.Y. and grew up in Jackson Heights, Queens. Mary was the only child of Michael and Nellie Brady. Both parents emigrated from Ireland, and Mary was very thankful for her Catholic upbringing, Irish heritage, and American citizenship.
Mary graduated from Blessed Sacrament, St. Agnes High School, College Point, and in 1970 completed her B.B.A. attending evening school at Pace College, NYC. That same year her employer, American Can Company, moved from Park Avenue to Greenwich. It was there that she started her new career as an Account Executive with Eurpac Service Co., a manufacturer’s representative company which sold to commissaries and PXs. It was a very diverse job, including sales calls to offshore U.S. Navy bases. Mary would always say that the best benefit of the job was substituting for the president of the company in his indoor tennis game.
That is how she met William Cleworth, the love of her life, and the owner of the Greenwich Racquet Club. In 1983 the couple married, and in 1986 Bill sold his company, Cleworth Publishing Company, based in Cos Cob, CT. Then the voyages began, cruising down to Florida in their Grand Banks, “Liberty.” Sixteen years, and as many round-trip voyages later, they bought an American Tug and continued the waterway passage for another six years. Bill and Mary’s Florida home was originally in Miami, but in 1992 the couple discovered Grand Harbor, Vero Beach and thoroughly enjoyed their life there.
Mary was an accomplished tennis player, playing for the Jockey Club, Grand Harbor, and Riverside (CT) Yacht Club. She loved the outdoors, skiing, camping, and later in life golf, and of course boating.
Mary will be missed by her beloved husband of 36 years, her dear cousin Eleanor Kirvin of San Diego, her many friends and her five Cleworth step-children, Jonathan of New Canaan, CT, David of Charleston, S.C., Christopher of Atlanta, Ga., Timothy of Schenectady, N.Y., and Sarah of Greenwich, CT, six grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, TN 38105.
A funeral mass was held at Holy Cross Catholic Church, Vero Beach.
