Mary E. "Mae" Behuniak, 86, of Kingsport, Tennessee peacefully passed away on December 29 surrounded by her loved ones. She was born of Russian immigrants on March 11, 1917 in Ansonia.

She lived there and in Maine, returned to Ansonia and then lived most of her adult life in Shelton. In 1978, she retired to Palm Harbor, Fla., and moved to Northeast Tennessee in 1997 where she resided in Johnson City and later in Kingsport. "Mae", as she was known, had been an active member of St. Joseph‚s Parish in Shelton and St. Michael‚s in Derby. Locally, she was a member of Mount Calvary Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Kingsport. She enjoyed the activities and friendships which resulted from her regular participation with the members of the Kingsport Senior Center. Mae was also proudly a member of The American Rosie the Riveter Association. When World War II broke out, she left the "sweatshop" sewing factories where she had been working and began riveting on aircraft. She put together the tail cones of the "Corsair", a Navy Marine fighter plane built by Chance-Vought Aircraft. When she wasn‚t riveting, she engraved the labels for the gauges and controls in the cockpits. Later in the War, she did the same work on helicopters manufactured by Sikorsky. After the War, she became a salesclerk in ladies‚ fashions for a large department store chain, Bradlee‚s. She rose to fashions manager, then to retail sales manager of the Store, a postion she held until her retirement. Small in stature but strong in body and spirit, she became known by her relatives, friends and co-workers as "Mighty Mae". Mighty Mae had always had a talent for creative ventures such as elaborate cake decorating. In her retirement, she discovered additional artistic talents. She began to paint oil and water colors- and to carve on the underside of tree mushrooms. Her mushroom art became distinct creations in her unique style and were desired by all who saw them.

Mae was preceded in death by, her loving husband, Wm. "Chuck" Behuniak of Shelton; her parents, Peter and Malvina (Zuk) Efimetz, Shelton; Her infant sister, Helen Efimetz; her younger brother, Leo Efimetz, Long Island, N.Y.; a younger sister, Rose Elko, St. Augustine, Fla.; a younger sister, Jane Jackson, Salem, Ore.; many cousins and several nieces and nephews.

Survivors include: son, Judge Peter Z. Behuniak, and daughter-in-law, Dr. Linda D. Dietz, Afton; grandson, Timothy Dietz and granddaughter-in-law, Pamela Steadman Dietz, Kingsport; great grandchildren, Joseph M. Dietz and Marissa Lee Dietz, Kingsport; older sister, Elizabeth Homick, Shelton; younger brother, Paul Efimetz, Olean, NY and Bradenton, Fla.; numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, grandnieces, grandnephews.

In accordance with her wishes, Mae‚s earthly remains have been cremated. A memorial service will be conducted at 7 p.m., Friday, January 2 at Hamlett-Dobson Funeral Home, Kingsport. The services will be conducted by Pastor Richard Willis. Visitation with family will follow the service.

Published in Connecticut Post on Dec. 31, 2003.