By Nick Buglione
Scores of mourners packed St. Raphael's the day after her passing to pay their last respects to a woman who logged over 50 years of community service in East Meadow, touching hundreds of lives along the way.
"She was just an extraordinary human being," said Florence Trunk, longtime friend and fellow parishioner. "As a friend, she was a good listener and she had a big heart."
When Pinto moved from her native Williamsburg, Brooklyn into East Meadow in 1951, it didn't take long for her to become heavily involved in local affairs, particularly those concerning her parish.
"If there ever was a need in the parish or if somebody needed help or a volunteer, she would do it," said Rev. Daniel Hurley, who served as St. Raphael's pastor from 1983 to 1995.
A devout Catholic with an untiring passion to help others, Pinto had an extensive record of service. During the 1960s, she was elected to the first parish council, a remarkable feat considering her election came in a decade still very much dominated by men.
She also served as president of the Rosary Society and was heavily involved in church outreach. Those close to her still recall how Pinto would organize rides for the sick to and from the hospital or doctor appointments.
"If somebody had to be at the hospital at 4:30 a.m., she would drive them herself," said Mary Koenig, a St. Raphael's parishioner and friend of Pinto's for over 40 years. "She was a very charitable person. She never turned her back on anyone."
Not even the incarcerated were deprived of Pinto's care and attention, as she helped spearhead a prison ministry at the Nassau County jail during the 1970s. Pinto did her best to make imprisonment there as bearable as possible, ensuring that little amenities like new socks and underwear found their way into the cells.
"How many people think about the people that are in there?" Trunk said. "Mary did, and that was the way she was with everything."
Her most notable accomplishment, however, was the creation of an interfaith council among the various houses of worship in East Meadow to promote cooperation and understanding across religions. Started during the 1970s, the organization still exists today.
"She was a woman without any kind of bigotry, she had a tremendous amount of respect for people of all colors, ethnicities and faith backgrounds," Hurley said. "She was a loving, caring woman."
Pinto also loved to sing and formed the "Choraleers," a singing group started when St. Raphael's celebrated its 25th anniversary. Over the years the group branched outside the church, recruiting members from other denominations.
"She always did what was right, she wouldn't reflect on why she did things," said Virginia Levine, her daughter. "If something needed to be done, she would do it."
A massive stroke 3 1/2 years ago robbed Pinto of her ability to speak, effectively ending her volunteer work. She had been living in the Uniondale Town House, an extended-care facility with her husband of 62 years, Henry, who suffers from Alzheimer's disease.
Pinto's inability to talk, though, never put a damper on the love still pouring out of her. "She would blow kisses to everyone," Trunk said. "She couldn't speak, but the language of love was there."
Her health had recently started to fail owing to the lingering effects of the stroke that ultimately claimed her life.
Pinto was buried at Holy Rood Cemetery in Westbury. She is survived by her four children, Lawrence, Michele, Virginia and Henry Jr. as well as her eight grandchildren.
