I first met Mary answering an add to babysit her infant daughter in Queens, NY. We became fast friends and never looked back❤️
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2025, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA
Here’s to you Mary. I love you ❤️
— with
My pride and joy
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My husband came to the Aquacize class under protest. He hates exercise and loves music. When Mary discovered that singing with him in each class was the key to his enjoying the class, she made sure to sing with him each time he attended. They made delightful music together.
In response to "What act of kindness did you witness from Mary?"
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After chatting with Mary in the swimming pool where we first met, I suspected that she was more than she seemed and asked if she was a secret intellectual. She admitted that she was and the more we learned about our mutual and divergent interests, the more we shared. When I left for a week in March, I couldn’t have imagined that I would never see her again. By then we shared being in the pool, chatting over coffee after class and the special weekly group call that started during the pandemic for mutual support and continued for the same reason. I can still see Cat walking across Mary’s computer screen during many of our conversations. I marveled at her energy, depth of understanding, passion and compassion. I still read articles and think, ‘I should send this to Mary.’ And each time I make chopped liver I am sad that I can’t share it with her. The world is better because she was a part of it. I miss her.
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Mary was a special friend and colleague from my Gill Foundation days. She always found time to stay connected with me and I treasure our times together when she visited Portland. We always looked forward to her holiday greetings with her personal and thoughtful updates on her family and friends.
Mary, you will be missed.
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I was sadden and in disbelief to hear of Mary Lynn's passing. She was a wonderful friend during our Children's Museum days and afterwards her notes sharing her family's adventures year after year. I will truly miss her.
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I worked with Mary Lynn at the MS Society around 1995 to 2000 I think it was. I always enjoyed her wonderful sense of humor. And she was really smart; an asset to anywhere she worked I’m sure. My condolences to her family and all who loved her
Curt Huber
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I worked with Mary more than 20 years ago from a remote office. She still kept in touch over social media and was so thoughtful and kind. She made such a difference in so many lives and set an inspiring example of staying connected to others.
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Mary was a joy to know. In tai chi she was so inclusive and fun! I will always think of her with gratitude.
Marian
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All in.
When I think of Mary, that's what I remember. Whether it was her family, her friends, her political views (especially her political views), her music, or life in general, she approached it with endless passion, zeal and fortitude.
She was all in all the time.
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My husband, Macy Dorf, and I met Mary in the YMCA's water aerobics class which she taught. She made us feel welcome immediately and introduced us to others in the class. That made us want to return, not just for the exercise, but because she made it fun to be there with her singing especially. Amazingly she knew the music and words of dozens, maybe hundreds of songs. Her wit and humor was infectious. Macy often greeted her in the pool by singing, in his tuneless voice, "Hey good lookin' what you got cookin' how's about cookin' something up for me." She would respond by sticking her tongue out to him! We miss her a lot.
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Mary Korch-Small
For those of you who did not know Mary, she was an amazing friend, mentor, and singer; my friend of almost 40 years! I loved singing with Mary, she has a beautiful alto voice and I always tried to stand right next to her in church choir, and for many years in the LowDowns and Soundz Familiar and I loved how she could sing with a cool rasp that I only wish I could do.
Singing and Church life were not our only bond. At one point Mary knew that I wanted to move from selling furniture to the accounting world and she gave me one of the biggest gifts of my life when she hired me on at Gill Foundation to handle accounting, payroll, benefits and HR, where I worked for almost 10 years. She changed the trajectory of my life and I will be forever grateful to her for her faith in me and so she became my mentor.
My family LOVES Mary! Any time Mary would see our son, Ben, she would kiss him all over his face…he was 4 years old and he called her “Kissy Face” and his giggle mixed with hers was precious. At 4 years old he got her a ring out of one of those 25 cent machines and asked her to marry him. She could see how serious he was so she told him that he was a little too young to get married yet but she would wait for him. He was so happy.
I cannot leave out a story about her daughter and my older son, Tim. They were working at Dairy Queen and our singing group had just finished a show where we were dressed in costumes, poodle skirts for the girls, T-shirts with packs of cigarettes rolled up in the sleeves for the guys. We decided we should “sing for our supper” and broke into song. Tim and Briana were so embarrassed they went to the back and hid in the walk-in freezer.
Mary has a very infectious laugh and once when we were at a steakhouse with her daughter and my boys, we got the giggles and we would finally get ourselves under control but then just look at each other and burst out laughing again, tears rolling down our faces. In fact, that was when Mary taught me how to snort when I laugh hard. Needless to say, we about got kicked out of the restaurant and Totally embarrassed our poor children.
Every year on my birthday Mary would call me and sing Happy Birthday and when she got to the part “Happy Birthday Merrie Christmas” she would get an enormous grin on her face and sometimes get the giggles. I will miss that about her.
I can imagine Mary now singing with the choir of Angels and another dear friend, Melanie Kibble, moving over to sing next to her like I used to do. I can hear them singing together, Melanie’s beautiful soprano voice mixing with Mary’s rich, warm alto voice in lovely harmony.
I will miss me singing buddy, my Church buddy, my mentor, my dear, dear friend.
Mary will always be with us, filling our hearts with song and joy. We will always remember her love of family, God, friends, music, and her love of life.
I love you Mary and will always keep you close to my heart, your forever friend, Merrie Christmas Phelan...HA, I made you smile one more time!
In response to "What always reminds you of Mary?"
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Zina and I are so sorry for your loss, please accept our condolences. I cannot say that I knew Mary well, but I do know the joy she brought to David's life, and wish I had had the chance to get to know her better.
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So sorry for your loss, and what a loss it must be. She was such a Presence:
I knew your mom from Light of the World. I sang with her in Choir and more recently, Soundz Familiar. She had a deep alto voice and loved sharing her gift of music/entertainment. I loved when she sang Mary had a Baby with Donna Oliver. I especially remember her at the Christmas Performances we did for “Marty’s kids”. She always dressed so festively and gave of her time so willingly. Loved her golden shoes!
I worked with a mutual friend Liz, who knew Mary from the Water classes at the Y. I could tell how deeply they valued Mary there too.
Most of all, she loved her family and always spoke so highly of all of you and your accomplishments.
Loved being on her Christmas Card lists. Her cards were always so creative. I bet she drove you all crazy thinking up all the new themes making you pose until the photo was just right.
She will be missed in so many venues of life. Let’s celebrate a life well lived on the 14th!
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My condolences to Mary's family. I first met Mary when we would play Tai Chi at the YMCA. Mary always brought a friendly smile to the class and a helpful hand to the new students. We all miss her very much.
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Mary was always positive, happy and hard working. She stepped up to save the aqua size class by teaching. She was very welcoming and loved her group of ladies and men.
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Mary Lynn was deeply loved by all of us, a wonderful aunt to Jen and Jamie and a loving sister-in-law to Dolores. May your grief lay softly upon you.
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I have many memories of working with Mary Lynn at the MS Society. I will always remember her as a smart, hardworking colleague who I could always count on for support. I know she will be missed by many. Please accept my deepest sympathies at this difficult time.
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I met Mary in the fall of 1960 when my family moved to Marshall and she and I were in the fifth grade. In fact, one of my earliest memories of Marshall is of Mary and me ice skating on the mill pond that first winter. Mary reminded me years later that her dad, I believe, made a home movie of the two of us demonstrating our spectacular skating skills! (Well, we were wearing skates and we were on the ice, anyway.)
We were friends from that time through the rest of grade school, then junior high and high school. After graduation, we both moved on to the University of Wisconsin in Madison, where we ran into one another from time to time, more often than not in the Rathskeller at the student union.
She moved away, and we lost contact, eventually reconnecting every few years at reunions of the class of 1968. It was always delightful to see her and to catch up. She has always held a place in my heart, and she will be sorely missed.
My deepest sympathy to her family and to all those who knew and loved her. Godspeed, Mary!
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Briana and family, I was so sad to hear of your Mom's passing, she was a smart, funny, kind, caring lady. I had the pleasure of working with her and calling her friend. I will miss her and am sending love and light to you all.
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