Mary P. Dieal, age 82, of Cinnaminson, NJ passed away on Friday, May 26, 2023.

Mary was born on May 18^th, 1941 to the late Ellen and Michael Murphy in New York City, NY.  She was first raised in Queens, and then in Tuckahoe, Westchester County, NY, where she attended grade school at the Immaculate Conception Catholic school, followed by High School at St. Clare Academy in Hastings on Hudson, NY.  Mary was actively involved in theater, dance and music during grade school, and High School, and she was an accomplished piano player.  After graduation from St. Clare Academy, she attended College at Fordham University in New York City and worked following her college years for IBM as the personal administrative assistant for the former President of the company. 

Mary met Capt. William J. “Bill” Dieal in 1966 and they were married at West Point, NY on January 7^th, 1967 at the Most Holy Trinity Catholic Chapel.  Both Mary and Bill loved and enjoyed the experience of various cultures and together they traveled extensively in Europe and the Americas during their 50 years of marriage. In 1969, Mary graduated with honors in Portuguese from the Defense Language Institute, and this was soon followed by a two-year deployment of the family to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where Bill served the Department of Defense as a Military Attaché to the Brazilian government. In addition to the time in Brazil, Mary and Bill also lived in NY, VA, NJ, and Houston, TX and they made many lifelong friends in all those places.  In 1989, the family moved to Cinnaminson, NJ, where Mary has resided for the past 34 years. Following her move to NJ, Mary worked in the HR Department for DNA Plant Technologies in Cinnaminson, and she also worked as an Administrator for several years in for the Burlington County Board of County Freeholders.  During this time, Mary continued to enjoy traveling in the US and abroad, and she regularly made long road trips to visit her family in other parts of the country.  She adored her family and she will be deeply missed by them.

Mary’s life was animated by her desire to love and serve God and His Church, and to witness that love to people she met every day.  She led a faith-filled and active life in the service of Jesus and her Catholic faith.  In the 1980’s she began an instrumental ministry which sought to bring Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration to various Dioceses and Catholic Churches throughout North America, the Caribbean, and even parts of Europe and the Philippines. She was a member of several Catholic lay associations and prayer groups over many years at various area churches in the Northeast and in Texas. 

Mary is predeceased by her husband, the late Col. William J. Dieal, Sr.  She is survived by her children, Bill Dieal (Joy), Michael Dieal (Joan), Karen DiMarino (Drew), Kathleen Dieal, and David Dieal (Meredith); grandchildren, William, Gianna, Andrew, Matthew, Claire, Magdalene, Patrick, John Paul, Gabriel, Catherine, Owen, Joseph, Francesca, Mark, Luke, Karielle, David, Reese, Madeline, Charles and great-grandson, Kit.

Relatives and friends are welcome to Mary’s viewing on Monday, June 5, 2023 from 6:00-8:00PM, at Mount Laurel Home for Funerals, 212 Ark Rd, Mt. Laurel, NJ 08054. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held the following morning, Tuesday, June 6^th, 2023 at 10:00AM at St. Peter Roman Catholic Church, 43 W. Maple Avenue, Merchantville, NJ 08109.

A second funeral mass will be celebrated on June 8^th, 2023 at 10AM at Most Holy Trinity Chapel, 699 Washington Road, West Point, NY 10996. Interment at West Point Cemetery will follow mass.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Mary’s memory may be made to:

Holy Spirit Adoration Sisters,

Convent of Divine Love

2212 Green St.

Philadelphia, PA 19130-3197