Mary Kammer Cassetti

Mary Helen Kammer Cassetti, 93, of Trumansburg, New York, passed away peacefully on November 4, 2025, at Cayuga Medical Center. Her life was defined by her love of family, friendship, and the joy of bringing people together.

Born on January 14, 1932, in Madison, Wisconsin, Mary was the daughter of Adolph and Margaret (Carroll) Kammer. Her father’s pioneering work in occupational medicine took the family to a series of industrial and academic appointments: from Ironwood, Michigan, to Chicago, Illinois, to Oak Ridge, Tennessee, where he contributed to the Manhattan Project. Mary attended the University of Pittsburgh, where her father later founded the Department of Occupational Medicine at the School of Public Health.

After graduating from the University of Pittsburgh in 1955, Mary met architect Ronald Edwin Cassetti. They married in August 1956, and began a happy life together in Sarasota, Florida. In 1961, Mary moved with her young family to Elmira, New York, where she was immersed in the culture and complexities of her husband’s close-knit, Italian family. Mary’s intuitive sense of food, and love of cooking was born in the vibrant kitchens of her new family.

Mary became known for her inviting hospitality. Her home was always open—filled with books, art, music, and ideas, with flowers on the table and something delicious on the stove. She founded Duck Soup, a cooking school that made learning to cook both approachable and fun. She developed recipes with her close friend Neal O’Donnell for his cookbook Cooking with Cornelius and contributed to Burt Green’s Green on Greens. Later, she founded Biscotti Cassetti, a mail-order business created to meet the enthusiastic demand for her homemade biscotti.

Deeply engaged in her community, Mary was an active volunteer and fundraiser for many organizations, including the Arnot Art Museum, Elmira College, and the Ulysses Philomathic Library. She was also a longtime member of the Junior League of Elmira, where she formed many lasting friendships.

In 2003, Mary and Ron moved to Trumansburg, into the historic Hermon Camp House with their family. The reassurance and joy of her children, grand children and family all under the same roof - plus the daily buzz of contractors and friends visiting were a constant source of joy for Mary.

Mary is survived by her devoted children, Robert (Elizabeth Q.) Cassetti and Gloria Cassetti; her grandchildren, Katherine C. Cassetti (Andrew Jones) and Alexander Q. Cassetti (Anna Aksenova); and her sister, Anne Kammer McElravey of Sun Valley, California. She was predeceased by her husband, Ronald E. Cassetti, and by her parents.

A celebration of Mary’s life will take place on April 11, 2026, with an 11:00 am funeral Mass at Saint James the Apostle Church in Trumansburg, followed by a reception at the Camp House. In lieu of flowers, please consider a contribution to the Trumansburg Food Pantry or the Ulysses Philomathic Library.