Mary Lorraine Balser Maurer, beloved wife, mother, grandmother and sister, passed away peacefully at age 84 on November 20, 2025, at Trillium Place Care Center in Lancaster, PA. She spent her last days with her husband, son, and daughter by her side.

Mary was born in Shamokin, Pennsylvania to Dollie and Alphonse Balser, and raised in Gowen City, PA, graduating from Shamokin High School.  She met her future husband, James Maurer of Helfenstein, PA, in her hometown at the local arcade, and they were later happily married for 65 years. They raised their family in Lititz, Pennsylvania, including son Todd Maurer of Atlanta, Georgia, and Karen (Maurer) Stone of La Jolla, California.  

In addition to keeping a warm household, Mary worked as a business manager in community medical centers in both Manheim and Rothsville, PA, providing her keen organizational and management skills to help bring care services to those communities. She was also an avid antique collector and dealer and maintained a vast collection. Her grandchildren especially enjoyed poring over interesting objects in her home and hearing explanations and stories about family heirlooms or other collectibles as described from Mary’s extraordinary memory for details and history.

Mary will be best remembered for her strong family commitment, caring, helping, and laughing together with her husband, children, grandchildren, and extended family, setting examples for future generations. She enjoyed making holidays special, remembering birthdays, and celebrating the successes and milestones of her loved ones.  She and Jim often traveled to visit with their daughter’s family in Southern California and their son’s family in Georgia. She was constantly playing games with grandchildren, cooking, and bringing thoughtful surprises or gifts to her loved ones. In her final days, as speaking became difficult, one of the last words she wrote on paper before passing was “together.”

Preceded in death by her parents, Dollie and Alphonse, and brother, David, she is survived by her husband, James, her children, Karen and Todd, and her five grandchildren, Rachel, Jason, Sammie, Matthew and Wyatt, and sisters Linda Good and Denise Makowski. 

A funeral service will take place at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, 4663 Upper Road, Shamokin (Gowen City), PA on November 29th, at 11:00am.  Arrangements will be by the Blank Funeral Home, 395 State Street, Sunbury.