Mary E. Schotland Castellion

Mary E. Schotland Castellion, 77, a science textbook author and editor, died on Sept. 23, 2010, after suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.

Born in Elizabeth, N.J., Castellion earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry in 1955 from the University of Rochester, where she developed her passion for science and writing.

After graduating, she worked for a year as an editorial assistant at the Journal of the American Chemical Society. She then coauthored the textbook “Fundamentals of General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry,” beginning her long and vibrant career in the science textbook industry.

Castellion had a passion for learning and for writing in a way that would clearly present science topics to readers. She was a member of the National Association of Science Writers and a member of ACS, joining in 1968 and assuming leadership roles on both the local and national levels.

A resident of South Norwalk, Conn., she had lived previously in Stamford, Conn., for 24 years. Castellion embraced and celebrated music and art, playing the clarinet for both the Darien Band and the Norwalk Symphony, where she served as president of the board of directors for many years.

Her son, Lee; daughter, Nina; and one granddaughter survive her. She was predeceased by her partner, Carl Jacobs, in 1993.