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 Mary Celeste Madden
Mary Celeste Madden was born on May 19, 1919, in Providence, Rhode Island, her father, James, was 29, and her mother, Gertrude, was 30.. In Rye her families address remains unknown but they were members of the Church of the Resurrection. Mary was a Rye High School Graduate, Class of 1937. She served as an officer in the U.S. Army during World War II.
Rye Girl Is Graduated from White Plains Nursing School
Miss Mary Celeste Madden, of Rye, was awarded the prize for the highest average in theory and the art of practical nursing at the graduation exercises of the White Plains School of Nursing, held at the Contemporary Club. Miss Madden graduated from the Rye High School in the class of 1937.
THE RYE CHRONICLE Friday, June 28,1940
Mary Celeste graduated from the New York Hospital School of Nursing. When World War II began, Mrs. Williams joined the Army to work as a nurse in the South Pacific. While stationed at a U. S. base, she met George H. Williams, who would become her husband. She returned from the war and married him on November 15, 1946, in New York City, New York. They would have four children during their marriage.
The couple soon moved to New York, where her husband took a job as an administrator at New York University. Mrs. Williams went back to school, receiving bachelor's and master's degrees in nursing from New York University.
 Celeste M. Williams had a passion for helping young people develop. In addition to raising four of her own, she "devoted her life to others' kids, spending nearly 50 years as a Girl Scouts leader", her daughter Mary Beth Barritt said.
Celeste would often take her Scouts traveling, once taking a group of them to Mexico. Her dedication would win her the Girl Scouts Lifetime Achievement Award. ''She thought it was important that young people learned about their world,'' her daughter said.
Mary Celeste Madden Williams, 85, a nurse and longtime community volunteer, died from hyperthyroidism Friday, Nov. 26, 2004 in St. Francis Hospital in Evanston.
At the time of her death, she was survived by her sons Stephen and Kevin; another daughter, Jeannie Williams; a brother, Paul Madden; a sister, Patricia; and five grandchildren.
She was buried with full military honors in Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia
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