The celebration of life for Mary Zovistoski will be held on October 4th at the Clayton American Legion starting at 1pm. Mary, who owned The Scoop, passed away on July 9th, at age 61.
Mary J. Zovistoski of Clayton, NY passed away on Wednesday, July 9th after a brief, but courageous, battle with cancer. She was surrounded by loved ones in her final moments.
Born March 28, 1964 in Glens Falls, NY, Mary was the daughter of Francis (Frank) and Bertha Zovistoski.
Mary graduated from Brunswick Central School District and Herkimer Community College.
Mary worked a variety of jobs. In 2009, Mary armed with a little more than an idea, a dream, and an unshakable belief in herself started an ice cream business, The Scoop, located in downtown Clayton, NY.
Mary was well known in the community for her giving nature, community service and supporting the local kids. She had been a Clayton Town Board Member for 8 years and a member of the Lions Club. She was on the committee for the 1000 Islands River Santa Festival, and annually donated a book to every child at Guardino Elementary through the Read for the Record program. She was very involved with the Rotary Club working on many projects, but the Clayton Story Book Trail project at Cerow Park was her favorite.
She enjoyed reading, gardening, cooking and playing with her dog Mya. She cherished every moment spent with her daughter, Melissa, and granddaughter, Annabelle. Annabelle gave her pure joy every day. She will be sorely missed by family, friends, employees and customers of The Scoop.
She was predeceased by her father Frank Zovistoski .
Left to cherish her memory include her daughter, Melissa Boss (Jordan Eisenhauer), her granddaughter, Annabelle Eisenhauer, her mother, Bertha Zovistoski, her siblings, Sue (Dan) Vaughan, Michael (Pam) Zovistoski, and Jeff (Kelly) Zovistoski, a special nephew, Jay (Jessica) Zovistoski, along with her niece, several nephews, great nieces, great nephews and cousins.
At Mary’s request there will be no calling hours or funeral. There will be a celebration of her wonderful life in the future.
Donations can be made in Mary’s memory to the Clayton Rotary Club.
Arrangements are with the T.R. Jetty Funeral Home in Clayton.
Condolences can be made at trjetty.com
Steve & Diane Rutigliano
We were so saddened to hear of Mary’s passing. We go way back to our days at the Watertown Farmer’s Market when we were doing Kettle Corn and Mary was our neighbor with the beautiful flowers and designs she painted on glassware. Whenever we made a trip back to NNY, we made a point to stop in at the Scoop and visit and get a generous helping of Steve’s favorite ice cream, rum raisin. We will cherish all the fond memories of our time together, and we are sure Mary is flying with the angels. Our condolences to all her family, especially her beloved granddaughter Annabelle.
April Ingerson
Mary and I go way back. If it wasn’t for her I never would have started my embroidery business. She was such the encourager. I cherish the time that I got to spend with her. You did so much for so many people that nobody knew about. All my love and prayers to her family and her beautiful blessed little granddaughter Annabelle.♥️
Bella
Mary was a wonderful woman. She had the power to do anything as long as she told herself she could do it. I worked with mary for a few months, she was wonderful at her job, she teaches a bunch of teenagers how to become amazing working at an ice scream shop. I go in the scoop every now and then hoping mary is working but there’s just a big group of girls working, it breaks my heart. Fly high mary, you are missed!
Cary and Janet Brick
Her death is a great loss to the village and town and to the thousands of friends she made through her business and civic activities. Her love and support to the children of the community is legendary. She is a role model in so many ways. We enjoyed her friendship and admired her devotion to Clayton. She is a worthy candidate for a “Lifetime Citizen of the Year” award. We shall miss her and treasure the memories of our times together. Cary and Janet Brick.
Anthony Skoan
My time with Mary was much too short but I can tell that she will be sorely missed by many, far and wide. Mary left a legacy, a challenge to us all..
Anne Houppert
Mary will be missed by many. She was such an asset to the village of Clayton in all that she did for the village. She was a great friend and I will miss the coffee meetings held at The Scoop. Clayton will not be the same without her. She remembered everyone that came in contact with her. My prayers go out to her family and especially her granddaughter Annabelle.
Mark and Carol Buckner
We are heartbroken to hear of Mary’s death; she was a beloved friend and exceptional human being; such a huge loss for Clayton. She touched so many people’s lives with her kindness, joy and unwavering service to the community. We will continue to honor her memory. Something should be erected in Clayton as a memorial.
Our heartfelt deepest condolences to her family, and we offer our support to them in their grieving.
Tom & Kathy Cheney
Mary, Our hearts are broken!! One of our weekly summer highlights was to take the family to Clayton by boat and visit you for Ice Cream….We just loved Scoops and didn’t even care if we had to wait outside in line. We will miss you and so will Clayton. You were loved by everyone and so respected for what you did for our Community. You will always be in our hearts. Peace….
Dianne Leavery
Clayton has lost a very special person, Mary Zovistoski . She cared about her family and friends, the old and the young, her village and town and far beyond. Mary was kind and smart, genuine and sincere. We will miss her so very much. God bless Melissa and Annabelle and may Mary rest in peace.
The Connor Family
Mary was so kind to us and our girls. She would hold the door for them if they called to say they were running (literally) into town to get ice cream and it was just about to close. She was always laughing and smiling with them when they arrived out of breath. One of our daughters was diagnosed with celiacs two years ago and Mary was always careful serving her to prevent any cross contamination. Her smile will be missed by us and many in the community.
Bern Zovistoski
Mary was a wonderful person whom as her uncle I never lived close enough to spend time with her, but everything I learned about her from her family left me totally impressed. She lived an impressive life and left us too soon. God bless her. Bern Zovistoski
renee
This is so sad what a beautiful obituary . I bought several of Mary coffee cakes so good wish I had the recipe. She truly was an amazing lady. Thinking of you all at this difficult time.
Linda Bouvier
My deepest condolences to Mary’s family. When I moved to Clayton and learned she was a Clayton Rotary Club member, I -as a longtime Rotarian – connected with her and subsequently joined Clayton Rotary. I so enjoyed our regular chats and collaborations. Her devotion to giving back to the community was inspirational, and her anticipation of becoming our club’s next president filled me with excitement as she shared her goals for this coming Rotary year. I will miss her more than I can ever express. May we all embrace the memories.
Dave and Jayne Montrois
When my grandchildren were little, they loved going to the Scoop and having their picture taken by the giant ice cream cone out in front of the store. Mary will be missed by many who came for her ice cream, cookies, and specialty dinners. Mary’s dinners were so good that you had to call ahead and get on the list to be able to get them. We will miss stopping t the Scoop after having dinner downtown.
Nancy and Joe McCabe
So sorry to hear of Mary’s passing. She was a beautiful person. We enjoyed visiting with her in the past after Mass and enjoying her baked goods and coffee. Rest in peace Mary.
Jim Dickson
Mary was always a treat to sell building materials to at WIBS when her earlier career had her working for some local contractors. And of course she served the finest ice cream in town. May she rest in peace.
Jane E Aikins
Mary was a dedicated enthusiastic member of my brother, Glen A. Gould Construction’s team. Hardworking, dedicated, loyal and a willing learner. She was definitely a valuable employee! We share our deepest sympathy to Melissa and family. (Oh how he lived little Melissa)
Susan Brown Mitchell
Mary inspired us to be better people. What a legacy. Rest in peace my friend.
Linda L Streets
Mary was a blessing to me and my family. My husband and I are natives and typically bring our grandchildren with us to visit every July. This year, they did not come. The Scoop was literally their favorite place in Clayton. We always found a rental where they could walk to the Scoop and the park. Their visit to the Scoop was daily every visit. Our grandson is a full time wheelchair user and it was initially difficult for him to enter the Scoop without help, but when Clayton was renovating their downtown, one change Mary made was to take out the step entrance so he could enter the shop without assistance. This was a big deal for him. We will miss Mary and the Scoop very much.
Nancy shook
Mary will be missed by many, I first met Mary when she brought mellissa for horseback riding lessons it was friends from then on so sorry to hear of her passing my heart reaches out to mellissa and Annabelle,and the rest of her family rip my friend Nancy shook kevin besaw
Trish Hunt
Mary was a beautiful person inside and out. She was a huge part of our community. I will miss seeing her.
Wanda Phelps
My condolences go out to all of Mary’s family, especially her treasured granddaughter, Annabelle. Mary was such a giving and caring person, that I do not understand why God needed her so early in her life. May she continue to care for those that need her in God’s place.
Norma Calhoun
Mary I’m devastated beyond words, you have been (feels like ) a lifetime friend. Sooooo respected all the different things you were into. Spent may hours , Bruce, I and you together for coffee. Would Never trade that for anything!!! As a group we all supported each other, giving advice or thoughts , or just listening to each other. Love you and Mya, and all with All My Heart!!!!! God Bless your family and all the difficult times before them. Mary rest in peace, you were sooooo greatly loved by all. Know you told me you were going to beat this, but sometimes God and life takes you into a different direction. All is us will souly miss you my friend.
Hope Marshall
Every good word ever spoken applies to Mary. She was an exceptional human being and shared her blessings in her service to others. Rest easy my friend.
Wendy
I will miss this wonderful lady. The most giving ,kind and hardworking woman I ever knew. Her love for Annabelle and Melissa was a joy to see. She was selfless and we could all take a page from Mary’s book. RIP my friend.
James Hanson and Kay Hanson
We will miss Mary very much. Although our cottage is in Morristown, we often drove to Clayton so we could talk with Mary and eat our ice cream. Any activity that took us to Watertown, Syracuse, Cape Vincent, etc., was a reason to visit with Mary and eat ice cream. Mary was such a special person, we will always feel fortunate that we knew her.
The Kinnie Family
Mary’s kind and passionate nature made her a huge asset to our community. Her devotion to children and the gift of reading made her one of a kind. We’ve always appreciated how welcoming and friendly she was to our family. She will be very missed!
Shondra Beach
I had always seen Mary working hard at The Scoop, but I finally had the pleasure of getting to know her a bit better through our shared involvement with the River Santa Festival. We did the toy shopping for it together, and I had the joy of meeting her sweet granddaughter, Annabelle, who I could tell she absolutely adored.
Mary’s warmth, energy, and genuine spirit left a lasting impression, and I was truly looking forward to working with her even more this year.
My heartfelt condolences go out to her family. Please know you are in my thoughts during this incredibly difficult time.
Maureen OConnor
So sorry to know I will not be able to see Mary’s smiling face serving ice cream. She was very community minded and so giving of her talents and time. She was a great help and mentor while on the Paynter Center Board. My Grandson loved the book exchange as well as the ice cream in the Scoop. When family visited the Scoop was a tradition. Clayton will miss you.
Stephen Grybowski
Mary made Clayton a better place to be. She will be sorely missed.
Jerry and Charlotte Babock
Mary was such a kind person, and very wonderful with her customers at the Scoop. She will be extremely missed….
Joan Varsics
Mary was a treasured friend. Her kindness meant so much to my late husband Jerry and me during his struggle with Parkinson’s and Lewy Body Dementia. Mary’s deliveries of meals for us every Monday and Thursday throughout the winter months helped me cope with the challenge of caring for Jerry alone. Mary was always ready with a listening ear, words of support and a hug to help me get through a difficult day. Mary was the one friend who continued to invite Jerry and I to her home for dinner as his illness progressed. She treated him with so much dignity, listening intently even when he was conversing in a way that made no sense. Spending time with Mary gave us both a much needed reprieve from the horrible reality of his illness and gave us a few hours of feeling like the old days. Just having dinner with a friend. I was honored when Mary gave me the nickname “Big Sister” and I will miss her like a sister. If ever anyone deserves a Celebration of Life, it is Mary, for she truly knew how to live and love.
Joan Varsics
For Mary’s Family
I hope that reading all these messages will help you remember good times that will bring you comfort as you mourn. Losing a loved one as special as Mary must be hard. Know that many people care about you and will be praying for you.
Megan Brewster
Every summer when we visited our cottage, part of our family tradition was going to the Scoop to support Mary and her business. Every summer she would make my son his birthday ice cream cake. When we visited this year and didn’t see her, she was missed by us. Tonight we saw that she has passed on, and the whole family held a moment of silence for her family.
Mary’s positivity radiated from her in every moment. I hope that those close to her know that her legacy will live on in the entire Clayton Community. She was well loved and she will be missed by all.
The DeAngelis family
We bought our cottage in 2009 and our neighbors introduced us to The Scoop not long after. Mary made The Scoop such an inviting place that it immediately became the must-visit destination for us and our house guests whenever we were up at our cottage. Our three children have grown up frequenting Mary’s shop and could never go even more than a day without asking to go there! Her handmade waffle cones were our kids’ favorite thing, and they preferred The Scoop to any other ice cream shop anywhere. We’ll always remember the divine smell of waffle cone rolling out of The Scoop when Mary was making a fresh batch!
Over the years, we enjoyed chatting with Mary, and especially enjoyed observing Annabelle at her side. It was obvious how proud Mary was of her granddaughter- and rightfully so – what a joyful, friendly, and well-behaved child she is!
We are so saddened to hear of Mary’s passing. Although we didn’t know her well, we could easily see what a good person she was, but in reading these remembrance, we are learning just how special she was to this community. We thank Mary and her family for the joy her shop has brought to us. We will miss her very much.
Scott Link
Mary was one of the nicest people I’ve known. I will miss her so much.
Paul J. Link Jr.
Al&Sandy Thompson
We spend the summer in clayton and Mary and the scoop was our favorite stop
She was a hard worker and ran a tight ship
She will be missed by all her customers who thought of her as family
Al&Sandy Thompson
We spend the summer in clayton and Mary and the scoop was our favorite stop
She was a hard worker and ran a tight ship
She will be missed by all her customers who thought of her as family
Thomas
Mary was a special person. A survivor. Her contributions are legendary and will endure for generations. Grateful.
Adding my broken heart to the hundreds. No longer suffering. Sorely missed.
Ed Oliver
Deepest condolences to Melissa, Annabelle and family. Mary was a selfless individual that enriched our community. I worked with Mary as a representative of the Salvation Army. Mary was our local voucher writer and volunteered to help the lives of needy families in our area. Mary will be greatly missed. Rest in Peace Mary.
Amy Brodock
My sincere condolences to Mary’s family. The news of her passing was a shock.
Mary was a wonderful, caring person. I have only known Mary for a short while, as she has been a Service Unit Volunteer for The Salvation Army since May of 2016. My encounters with Mary were always pleasant and her hospitality when hosting our meetings was always delightful.
May our Heavenly Father continue to comfort her family and friends and may she rest in heavenly peace.
Thank you for your service to The Salvation Army and your community, Mary.❤️
shauna
Mary was a remarkable woman who with hard work accomplished so much. She was a carpenter, store owner, volunteer, Town board member, advocate for elementary reading awareness, and organized toys/gifts at Christmas to those in need. Mary stood up for her beliefs, no matter what! Most importantly, Mary loved her family and was there for them always. Thank you, Mary for your many contributions to our Community ❤️
Marie White Ebbing
Cam
I’m so very sorry for Mary‘s family. She will be truly missed. What a wonderful person I’ve gotten to know her coming to Clayton every year. I always love visiting with her at the scoop. She was truly dedicated to the town in village of Clayton and did so many wonderful things for other people is she rest in peace