Marie Gradwell

Marie Gradwell, 88, of Upper Macungie Township, passed away on March 9, 2026, surrounded by her family and loved ones. Born in Frackville, Pennsylvania, she was the daughter of the late Joseph M. and Mary (Kupcha) Snitzer. She grew up helping her father in the projection room of the Frackville Movie Theater and later worked the telephone lines at Bell Telephone. She was the high school sweetheart and devoted wife of E. Gordon Gradwell, Jr., sharing many happy years together until his passing in 2009.

Marie served as secretary for her husband’s insurance business and assisted in the early days of Scott A. Gradwell Periodontics. She made her home in Kay Brook Manor in Kuhnsville and was a longtime member of Bethany United Methodist Church of Allentown, while often attending First Presbyterian Church of Allentown with her family. A dedicated mother, she raised two sons, Scott and Keith, and was deeply involved in their lives and community activities. She served as an active leader in Scouts, USA, and the Orchard View Swim Club, and was a talented ceramicist whose handmade pieces remain cherished by many. In her later years, she enjoyed swimming with a senior group at the YMCA, sharing laughter, lunches, and good company.

Above all, Marie found her greatest joy as “MomMom.” She was the fun, energetic grandmother who always had a Hallmark card ready for a rainy day, a night of ice cream and scary movies, or a warm hug and “schnookums” for anyone who needed it.

She was preceded in death by her husband, E. Gordon Gradwell, Jr., her son Keith P. Gradwell, and her sisters Helen (John Stair) and Anna, and is survived by her son Dr. Scott A. Gradwell and his partner George Pirotcchi of Breinigsville, daughters-in-law Suzanne Gradwell of Kutztown and Eileen I. Gradwell of Allentown, grandchildren Ashley Frost and her wife Paige, Sean A. Gradwell and partner Kelsey Edwards, Lauren A. Gradwell and her husband Cory Hobson, and Kyle T. Gradwell, great-grandchildren Hugo Hobson and Atlas Frost, and many others who proudly called her MomMom.