Mary-Ellen Creamer

Mary-Ellen (Tolan) Creamer passed away peacefully on April 21, 2022, the day after her 90th birthday, surrounded by her family. Mary-Ellen was born in Philadelphia on April 20, 1932, to Joseph and Ann Tolan. Kevin D. Tolan, her only sibling, predeceased her in 2013. She is survived by her children E. Stacy Creamer, J.Shane Creamer, Jr., Kevin J.T. Creamer, Colette Kleitz, Brendan McShane Creamer, and eight grandchildren. Mary-Ellen attended Ravenhill Academy for 12 years and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1953. She worked at the Greater Philadelphia Movement when she met J. Shane Creamer and married him in 1957. In addition to being a devoted wife and mother of five children, Mary-Ellen was an active volunteer with numerous organizations including Wissahickon Hospice and the Missionaries of Charity in Norristown. She was a docent at the Second Bank of the United States Portrait Gallery and she served as the Assistant to the President of Chestnut Hill College in the ’80s. Mary-Ellen was an accomplished pianist who infused classical music in her home for decades. A life-long Catholic, she was devoted to her St. Vincent de Paul Church community, serving as a eucharistic minister and soup kitchen volunteer. She served with her husband, Shane, on the Voice of the Faithful committee, a lay organization of faithful Catholics, organized in 2002 as a response to the sexual abuse crisis in the Catholic Church that seeks to ‘keep the faith, change the church.’ For nine years, until his death in 2013, she lovingly cared for her husband, Shane, who suffered from Parkinson’s disease while supporting her children and grandchildren in numerous ways – as a babysitter, pet sitter, and more, offering love, moral support, and care to all. While she suffered from dementia for the last few years of her life, she still managed to be an active member of her community at Sunrise of Lafayette Hill, going to exercise class every day, attending weekly Mass, and enjoying her friendships. A Funeral Mass will be held on Saturday, July 9, 2022, at 10:30 AM at St. Vincent de Paul Church, 109 E Price St, Philadelphia, PA 19144. Relatives and friends are invited to her visitation from 10-10:30 AM at the church. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to Face To Face Germantown or Inn Dwelling, both at 109 East Price Street, Philadelphia, PA.