Mary Myers, 92, passed away peacefully on Monday, September 25, 2023 at the home of her daughter Kathy after a brief illness. She was the widow of Clement Myers.
Born in South Portland Maine, Mary was the beloved daughter of James and Frances Lally. She was the sister of the late Richard Lally and Joanne Braica.
Mary graduated from Cathedral High School as the class valedictorian. Before she married, she worked in the office of R.H. Stearns in Boston, and at New England Telephone and Telegraph Co.
Widowed at age 39, Mary raised her young family. She once said that in a situation where there is only one parent, the children give part of their childhood to take on adult responsibilities of child-rearing and household tasks, and that hers were no exception. She believed that, without their unselfish help, she would not have this wonderful family to enjoy.
Mary referred to herself as a housewife and mother, but also worked at a variety of jobs. She worked as an operator at an answering service, inspector of parts made for the space program and pacemakers, and real estate broker. She retired in 2002 as an administrative assistant for the City of New Bedford Assessor's office. She enjoyed retirement because she could take walks with her grandchildren anytime, who affectionately referred to her as Nana Piano.
Retiring gave Mary more time for her hobbies - cooking, sewing, knitting, crochet and making quilts. She also enjoyed making bread, always tinkering with the recipe to take it to the next level. She rocked her eighties, taking up the ukulele, performing at recitals and at family gatherings. A prolific writer, she was active with the Memoir Group at the Mattapoisett Library. Mary shared the artistry of her handwork as an active member of the Cameron Senior Center Knitting Group.
Activism was a large part of her life. Using her walker, she could be seen canvassing Pine Hill Acres collecting signatures. She attended protests in the early days against Parallel Products. She protested the casino being developed at the former coal plant site. She was a member of Free Mom Hugs and attended local Pride festivals. She participated in the Women's March in 2021 and 2022.
Mary is survived by her son Michael Myers, his wife Paula Myers, their sons John Harry Myers, James Fuller, Justin and his wife Amber and their sons Logan and Noah; daughter Kathleen MMM Myers and her husband Shawn Tansey, their sons Patrick Tansey, Morgan Tansey and his partner Taylor Aslani Vatan; daughter Donna Myers-Poitras and her husband Thomas Poitras, sons Hank Poitras and Jack Poitras; daughter Judith Grimley and her husband Michael; daughter Eileen Raposa and her husband Joseph, son Cory Raposa and daughter Sabrina Raposa, and numerous nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her son Stephen Myers.
Mary loved all her grands, and will also be missed by Toby, George Michael, Joel, Beulah, Kalvin, Kaiser, Kramer, Cody, and River.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Alzheimer Association in Stephen's memory at www.alz.org, or to the VNA Hospice & Palliative Care at www.vnacare.org/donate. Mary would also want you to exercise your right to vote.
Mary's visitation will be held on Saturday, October 14th from 1-5 PM in the Saunders-Dwyer Home for Funerals, 495 Park St., New Bedford.