Mary Lee Haag, a lifelong resident of Grahamsville, NY, passed away peacefully with her family by her side on April 30. She was born to Edith and Rufus Porter on August 4th, 1939, in Loch Sheldrake, NY.

She married the love of her life, George “Stretch” Haag, on June 5, 1966. They leave behind a combined family legacy of their four children and spouses: Keith and Laura Eighmey, Louise Dayton, Kenneth and Christina Haag, Karl Haag and Ashley Van Aken-Haag. Mary Lee leaves behind her ten beautiful grandchildren that she loved beyond measure: Kelly Rushford and her spouse, Mary Lee Warren and her spouse, Keith Michael Eighmey and his spouse, Stephanie Diescher, Michael Haag and his spouse, Brittney Milk, John Keshecki and his spouse, Melissa Keshecki, James Keshecki and his spouse, Austen Eighmey and his spouse. She also leaves behind her twelve beautiful great-grandchildren that were the apple of her eye. She leaves behind her brothers-in-law Mark “Chip” Haag and his wife Christine, Matthew Haag and his wife Polly, and her sister-in-law Ruth Phillips, as well as many nieces and nephews, along with many “adoptive” grandchildren that she gained over the years.

She is predeceased by her husband, George “Stretch” Haag; granddaughter Stephanie Diescher; her sister and brother-in-law Margret and Carl Ulrich; brother-in-law Donald Phillips; her parents Edith and Rufus Porter; and her mother and father-in-law George “Bud” and Helen Haag.

Mary Lee was a homemaker until her youngest child graduated from high school, then became the school tax collector for the Tri-Valley School District for over ten years. Mary Lee was very involved in her community. She was a member of the Grahamsville Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary for over fifty years, was a treasurer and Den Mother for the Cub Scouts, a member of the Grahamsville United Methodist Church, and the coordinator for the Grahamsville food pantry for over twenty years.

The food pantry was one of Mary Lee’s greatest accomplishments. The church always had a food pantry, but when Mary Lee and her husband took it over, they revamped it. They put in policies that helped build it to what it is today, and those policies are still used to this day. Mary Lee was very active in this community resource until her passing and took great pride in the food pantry. The food pantry made her feel young and energized, helping those in need as a good Christian that she was.

Knowing how much Mary Lee loved being part of the food pantry and helping her community, her family asks that those who show up to pay their respects at her wake bring a dry or canned good to donate to the pantry in her name. It would be her final way of paying it forward to the community and mission that she loved.

In lieu of flowers, a donation can be made to the Grahamsville United Methodist Church Food Pantry. Grahamsville United Methodist Church Food Pantry - P.O. Box 86, Grahamsville, NY 12740 (In memo: In Memory of Mary Lee).

Visitation was held on Monday, May 4 from 2pm - 4pm & 7pm - 9pm, at Colonial Memorial Funeral Home, 396 State Route 52, Woodbourne, NY 12788. A service was conducted by the Grahamsville Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary at 8 pm Monday evening.

A graveside service will be held on Tuesday, May 5 at 11am at the Grahamsville Rural Cemetery. Reverand Paul Minton will be officiating.