Meet my mother

Mary died at her Ann Arbor home on September 4, 2006. She is survived by her son and grandson (names deleted) of Ann Arbor; her daughter (me); and her brother, John of Eureka Springs, Arkansas. She was preceded in death by her husband, William, in 1999, and in July of this year by her daughter-in-law, Nancy with whom she had shared a home for many years.

Mary was born on August 21, 1925, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. After graduating with honors from the University of Wisconsin with a degree in journalism, she was a state desk reporter for The Milwaukee Journal and, later, Township Editor for The Birmingham Eccentric (Michigan) and Assistant Publisher of The Daily Iowan. She earned an M.A. in English Literature from Central Michigan University and completed coursework for a Ph.D. in Modern Letters at the University of Iowa.

In the 1950s, Mary pursued her lifelong passion for architecture by designing her own innovative home in Midland, Michigan. She was married for ten years to (my father), who died when their children were very young. On December 26, 1969, she married William. In 1974, Mary and Bill founded a successful wine importer and distributor, in which she was partner. She was also a public relations consultant to a number of businesses, organizations, and political campaigns.

A tireless champion of the rights of Michigan’s mentally ill citizens, Mary served for years on the board of the Mental Health Association, as appointed member of the State of Michigan’s Mental Health Advisory Council, and as Chair of the Council’s Committee on the Rights of Recipients of Mental Health Services.

Mary first became interested in the American Civil Liberties Union more than fifty years ago when, as a reporter doing a story on Wisconsin Senator Joseph McCarthy, she was publicly denounced by Joe himself. She became a member of the Board of Directors of the ACLU of Michigan in 1962, serving as Chairperson and remaining active at many levels for the rest of her life. At the time of her death, she was also an active member and Executive Committee member of Ann Arbor’s Women Progressive Activists.

Mary will be remembered for her exquisite gardening and designing eye, her artistic work as a sculptor, her longtime support of the arts and the community, her zeal for social justice, her generosity, sharp wit, and sound advice, and much more. She will be greatly missed as mother, grandmother, mother-“out-law,” friend, fellow traveler, feisty advocate, gracious host, employer, and colleague.

There will be a memorial celebration of Mary’s life at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, September 17th, in the ballroom of the Michigan League, at 911 N. University in Ann Arbor. Contributions may be made to the American Civil Liberties Union in her honor.