DE HARDING

MARIA MERCEDES MARTIN

Maria Mercedes Martin de Harding, or known by her loving family as Mami, Maricedes, Cheche, or Abuela, died at 104.5 years old on Thursday, June 18, 2026, at Friendship Village, Upper St. Clair, PA.

She was born in Maiquetia, Venezuela, December 24, 1921. She later lived in Caracas where she began her career, which included a 2-year adventure in Boston to continue her studies at Harvard (Brigham and Women's Hospital) before returning to Caracas. She met my dad, Milton, shortly after she returned to Caracas. My Dad and eight colleagues were all non-Spanish speaking "gringos" that were recently hired by Gulf Oil and were new in town. A friend had invited Maria to a party because she spoke English, and that's when the proverbial "may I have a light" started a life-long romance! In 1966 they moved to Pittsburgh, living in Mt. Lebanon, PA for 38 years before moving to Friendship Village.

Maria and Milton's kids are Doug (Carmen), Ellen Leimkuehler (Jon), Sylvia McGivern (Dan), and Susie Doak (Bob). She was also blessed with 14 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren.

Maria had a long career in Microbiology, focused on bacteriology and research that started in Caracas, Venezuela and continued when the family moved to Pittsburgh. She was a vibrant woman who lived a very joyous life, had a quick wit, and loved to travel. Maria had an unwavering positivity, and an innate ability to go with the flow. If music was playing, she was the first one on the floor dancing! Maria loved a party, Dewars on the rocks with a splash of water, and her family beyond all.

Maria was preceded in death by her husband Milton C. Harding (2005) and daughter Ellen H. Leimkuehler (2015).

The family celebrated her life with a day filled with laughter, stories, and dancing.

"Salud, dinero y amor, y tiempo para gozarlo!"