WATERVLIET – Mary Elizabeth Charpentier Dressel, 86, died peacefully Thursday, January 11, 2018 at her home surrounded by her loving family. Born in Whitehall, NY on October 20, 1931, she was the daughter of the late Leo John and Mary Elizabeth Brewer Charpentier.
Mary was raised in Watervliet and graduated from Watervliet High School. She was a homemaker raising her boys and also was employed briefly by Western Union in Troy. For over 23 years, she was employed by the NYS Dept. of Motor Vehicles in Albany in the Vehicle Inspection Dept. before retiring in 1993.
Along with her husband Ray and family, she enjoyed weekends in New Hampshire and later in Newcomb, NY enjoying the beautiful Adirondacks. She loved tending her flower gardens in both Watervliet and Newcomb. She also was a dancer with Valenty Dance Studio in Watervliet appearing in their yearly Follies. She enjoyed her Wednesday night bingo with her friend Kathy. For the past 22 years, she was a devoted caregiver to her late husband Ray.
She was the devoted wife for 64 years of the late Raymond E. Dressel, Jr. who died February 11, 2017; loving mother of Paul R. Dressel of West Sand Lake, David C. (Darlene) Dressel of Eagle River, Alaska and Steven M. Dressel of Albany; adored grandmother of her devoted grandson, David and is also cherished by her loving grandchildren Amanda, Linda, Susie, Cheri, Kenneth, Adrienne, Tiffany and Stacey and several great-grandchildren; sister of William (Nancy) Charpentier of Maine, Judith Malone of Brunswick and the late Adlord and Leo (Donna) Charpentier and Regina Marchese; sister in law of Carmen Marchese of NC and Beverly Charpentier of PA. She is also survived by a special niece, Margie Clark and several other nieces and nephews.
The funeral will be Wednesday at 9:15 am from the Parker Bros. Memorial, 2013 Broadway, Watervliet and at 10 am at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, Watervliet where a Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated. Interment will follow in Memory Gardens, Colonie. Relatives and friends are invited and may call at the funeral home on Tuesday from 4-7 pm.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.
Condolence book at ParkerBrosMemorial.com.

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