Mary Jean (Peterson) Greeno

Mary J. Greeno, 74, of Sylvania, Oh, passed away, Thursday, October 22, 2020, at the Ebeid Hospice Residence, Sylvania. She was born December 31, 1945, in Sparta, WI. Mary was the oldest child of Harold and Agnes (Silha) Peterson. She grew up on the family’s dairy farm in the Coulee Region of West-Central WI. For the first 8 years of her education Mary attended a one-room school where all 8 grades were taught by one teacher. After graduating from secretarial school, she worked 7 years at the University of Wisconsin Hospitals, Madison, WI. In 1967, in Sparta, WI. She married Duane Greeno. Duane’s work as an electrical engineer with Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company including moves to Akron, OH; Union City, TN; Lima, Peru; Bogor, Indonesia, and Port Elizabeth, South Africa. In 1986 the couple settled in Sylvania, OH.

In 1988, Mary returned to work as a medical transcriptionist for Drs. Navarre, Gorman, Balkany, Afridi, and Sbrocchi, retiring in 2008.

In 1988, Mary joined the Quilt Fan-Attics, a weekly Monday morning quilting group. During one of those meetings, Chrys Peterson of Channel 11 News interviewed Mary regarding Mary’s 1995 diagnosis of breast cancer. At the end of the interview, Chrys asked if Mary would consider donating a quilt to the Northwest Ohio Race for the Cure. With the Quilt Fan-Attics serving as the core group along with breast cancer survivors, and other friends, Mary established the Promise Quilters. Over the course of 14 years, the group created 13 raffle quilts in Mary’s sewing room, fondly known as the “Sylvania Sweatshop”. The quilts generated $277,000 for the Northwest Ohio Affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. Mary believed the hand-embroidered label on the first Promise Quilt aptly described the project: “Making the Quilt, like planting a tree, is an act of love and faith in the future”.

In addition to quilting, Mary enjoyed reading, flower gardening, playing bridge, traveling, and photography. She was a member of the St. Joseph Catholic Church, Sylvania, funeral choir.

Mary is survived by her loving husband of more than 53 years, Duane Greeno; sons Eric (Laura) of Huntersville, NC. and Aaron (Erna) Greeno of Melbourne, Australia; brother Roy Peterson of DePere, WI; and sister Lois Peterson of Dakota, MN.

The date and time of a Funeral Mass celebrating Mary’s Life will be announced at a later date when, the Covid threat in our area has lessened.

Those wishing to offer memorials in Mary’s memory are asked to consider, in lieu of flowers, the charity of their choice.

Mary’s family would like to thank the staffs of Flower Hospital, and the Ebeid Hospice Residence for their loving care and support during this very difficult time.

Professional services were provided by the Reeb Funeral Home, where online condolences may be offered at www.reebfuneralhome.com

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Mary Jean (Peterson) Greeno, please visit our floral store.