WAYLAND, MA / ROCHESTER, NY: Mary Ellen Hagen, age 93, died peacefully in Wayland, MA after a brief illness on Sunday, January 25, 2015. She was born in Rochester, NY on September 18, 1921, the daughter of the late Martin M. Schiff and Mary M. (O’Grady) Schiff, and the sister of the late Leo M. Schiff. She was the wife of the late John D. Hagen.
Mary Ellen leaves her children Patricia A. Hagen of New Haven, CT, John D. Hagen, Jr. and his wife Wendy Magee-Hagen of Charlotte, NC, and Mary Beth Hagen and her husband David Jabs of Wayland, MA. She also leaves her grandchildren Ryan D. Hagen and his wife Bora (Kacupi) Hagen of Charlotte, NC, and Alison Jabs and Kindra Jabs of Wayland, MA.
Mary Ellen grew up and raised her family in Irondequoit, NY. She was a graduate of Our Lady of Mercy High School, the Eastman School of Music preparatory school (piano and violin), Misericordia College (BA Latin and Music), and Fordham University (MA Latin). She was married to WWII veteran John Daniel Hagen (originally of Newton, MA) for 36 years until his death. In her later years, she resided in Penfield, NY, Webster, NY, and Wayland, MA. Mary Ellen was a high school Latin teacher and elementary school teacher for over 40 years at schools such as the Academy of the Sacred Heart, Bishop Kearney High School, and the East Rochester Public School.
She read two or more newspapers every day, and was a devoted fan of the Boston Celtics, Yankees, and college basketball. She loved travel, classical music, foreign languages, and theatre, especially enjoying the Rochester Philharmonic, Chautauqua, Stratford Shakespeare Festival, and Elderhostel with her friends.
A Memorial Mass will be held on Saturday, February 7, 2015 at 10:00 am at the Good Shepherd Parish at St. Ann’s Church, 124 Cochituate Road (Route 27), Wayland, MA.
In lieu of flowers, her family kindly suggests that memorial gifts in Mary Ellen’s memory may be sent to Our Lady of Mercy High School, 1437 Blossom Road, Rochester, NY 14610.