Mary Balsamel Saviola, beloved mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, left this earth peacefully on October 5, 2025, at the age of 104. She was known for her love of family, her gracious hospitality, and her glamorous yet classic sense of style.
Mary was born and raised in Bernardsville, New Jersey, during the Great Depression. She graduated from Bernards High School in 1939, where she lettered in field hockey, and went on to earn her degree from Berkley College in 1941. After graduation, she worked at the Van Vleet Agency in Newark, New Jersey, until her marriage to Frank E. Saviola (1918-1996) in 1947.
After moving with Frank to Buffalo, New York, Mary devoted herself to raising her family. She was an active member of St. Bartholomew’s Church, serving as President of the Mother’s Guild from 1957 to 1958. Once her children were grown, she began a second career as an adjuster for Kemper Insurance Company, where she worked until her retirement in 1985.
Mary was known for her strength, independence, and fierce will to live. She remained in the Williamsville home she and Frank built until 2019. In her beautiful home, she hosted dozens of celebrations — bridal and baby showers for her granddaughters’ friends, holiday gatherings like Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the Feast of the Seven Fishes, and always, her own birthday. Her home was a haven for all who knew and loved her, filled with laughter, warmth, and good food.
At the age of 98, she moved to assisted living near her son in Olney, Maryland. Even during the isolation of the COVID pandemic, she met every challenge with grace and humor — surviving both the virus and the solitude it brought, always making the best of her circumstances.
Mary is survived by her daughter Edie Brower, her son James Saviola and his wife Paula Cooley, and her grandchildren Peter and Luke Brower, Nicholas and Kristen Carbone, and Julianna, Mariella, and Natalie Saviola. She was also the proud great-grandmother of Liam and Sylvia Boyle (Kristen), Zachary, Sebastian (Peter), and Kai (Luke) Brower; beloved aunt of Carol Beaver and Richard Balsamel. She was predeceased by her daughters Geraldine (1956) and Lisa Carbone (2005) (Phillip Carbone), her great-granddaughter Kiera Brower (2013), and her son-in-law Stephen Brower (2011).
Family and friends are invited to gather on Sunday, November 9, from 4-6 PM at Amigone Funeral Home, 5200 Sheridan Drive, Williamsville, to celebrate Mary’s remarkable life. There will be no formal services.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Lisa Carbone Endowed Fund for Breast Cancer Research at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in Mary’s memory.
Her strength, elegance, and unwavering love for family will live on through the generations she inspired.
Courtesy of Amigone Funeral Home
