I just heard this news and I am heartbroken.  I will always remember Mary as one of the brightest lights during our Yale years.  Since graduation, the limited communications we had, including in conjunction with class reunions, were meaningful, delightful, and always so very humorous.  Mary’s  ear to ear radiating smile, the sparkle in her eyes, the all-in for joy belly laugh will forever be with me.  Rest In Peace Mary.  You are one of the great ones and will never be forgotten.  I know your memory will be for a blessing.

I was so sad to read about Mary’s tragic accident and passing.  I was a classmate of hers at Yale, and I also live in Bethesda. We were on the varsity ice hockey team together in college, both of us there more for the novelty than as seasoned athletes.  Mary was so much fun, and a source of hilarity as we suffered tough practices together, two hours every weekday. She always had a smile and something kind to say.  I recently turned up a photo of our team, taken at a Princeton-hosted Ivy League women’s ice hockey tournament, 2/29-3/2 1980.  We are standing next to one another.  I did not see her but once after college, when we were both working in DC, but she is the sort of person one remembers well.  I send my love, sympathies, and prayers Mary’s son, other family members, and friends. — Anne Witkowsky

The Mary etched in my high school memories has a face that radiates happiness. Though she has more than a million things to do in any given moment, she still, when she sees you, focuses those shining blue eyes on you to hear how your day is going. She is bright and fun and charming and you just know she'll succeed at whatever she sets her mind to. It feels good to know Mary.

My sincere condolences to Leo, Kate, Liz, Joe and Carolyn, as well as Mary's nieces and nephews, and the many who had the good fortune of having known her. 

I have such fond memories of Mary beginning so very long ago. Her life was so full and she lets say “Did it all . . I will miss her stories and lust for life . My condolences to her son and her  entire family. She was an inspiration and she will
be missed❤️🙏❤️ Lots of love  Jami Slabine 

Mary and I had secret chats when I assigned her love Leo  to foreign stories (usually not in the finest capitals the world had to offer). It was a bond I always cherished. Devastating to hear of her passing.


My dear Kate and Family,
You are in my thoughts and prayers

I was so sad to hear the news about Mary.  I work at ABC News in the NewsOne department, where Mary was the Northeast Manager for a number of years.

Mary was so smart and so comfortable talking with the affiliate assignment desk staff and producers at her stations.  She was very serious about news, but also fun loving and knew that while news was a serious business, it wasn’t everything in life.  

She was a unique personality who brought a great vitality and spirit to our newsroom.  And she did a wonderful job at ABC News.

All of my thoughts are with her son and her family.

I am wondering if there is any sort of fund or scholarship being set up for her son.  If so, I would be very interested in supporting that.  Please feel free to contact me about this.

Thank you for the opportunity to give my thoughts about Mary.  She was one of a kind and she will me missed.

Al Prieto
aprietonj@gmail.com
201-207-9259

To Liz & the Walsh family: Grateful that I reconnected with Mary a few years back after our time together at ABCNews. Having also known Leo Sr. at ABCNews, it was a treat to meet their darling son, Leo. Mary shared how blessed she felt to have Leo and how much she enjoyed being a mom in this new chapter of her life. Mary was always a ray of sunshine - from our days at BHS - through our tenure at ABC News. Though it is heartbreaking that she left this world too soon, her indomitable spirit and her son will be a marvelous legacy.  May her memory be for a blessing!

To Mary's Family, 
She was one of the very first people to welcome me to ABC News in Washington.  I will never forget her kindnesses or the laughter we shared when we worked together.  I am so sorry for your loss.  She was one of a kind.    Sincere condolences, Lisa Chinn 

Dearest Mary,

You have your wings now. You earned them.
But……
How  I wish you could have stayed longer. 
How I wish we had our College roommate reunion which we finally planned for April 2020. 
How I wish I could have had another visit with you. 
How I wished for a miracle. 

My only prayer now is: use your wings to visit us. Show us you are close by. 

You are extraordinary and will be remembered forever.

Much love,
Bridget 

Yale Class ‘81



I am deeply sorry for you loss.. she will be on all us memory. ☹️☹️

Hi Leo, You won't remember but I first met you when you were just a few months old.  We were thrilled for you and your mom and a little wistful for your dad, who would have loved to have been there too.  Your dad and I spent quality time together in Jordan ahead of the Iraq war.  He and Mary spoke multiple times every day, each others lifeline.  That's how I first got to know your mom - over the satellite phone in a dusty corner of a faraway place on the eve of a great calamity.  Later, when our family moved to DC, Mary welcomed us like old friends.  You are the same age as our daughter, so we were always comparing notes.  Leo, you come from great stock.   Your mom and dad were ABC'ers from the time when colleagues were family, drawn together by a shared passion for news and a commitment to witnessing the most important stories of our time.  Kids readjust those priorities, give us more immediate stories to tend to closer to home.  I know that was the case for your mom.  She was committed to giving you a great start in life.   I was heartbroken to hear of her death.  My heart goes out to you and the rest of Mary's family.   I hope I'll get to see you again someday.   Please reach out at any time if you'd like to have a chat.   With much love, David & the Wright family

Mary was a wonderful journalist and excellent producer who was beyond passionate about her work. And her love for family burned as intense as the sun. And she had incredible empathy for the underdog. Bless her soul. 

Pierre

Mary and I were co-presidents of Key Club at Brookline High School and spent our senior year organizing fundraising projects for scholarships and working with children with cerebral palsy, among other activities. Working with Mary was a blast. She was remarkable -- megawatt smile, sharp wit, blended with this insatiable curiosity, and kindness. There was a never dull moment with Mary! Later, we both pursued careers in journalism and occasionally, when she was back from some far-flung assignment, she'd call to talk shop, or say hello. Our paths crossed at the OJ Simpson trial, and I met her on the ABC set, where she was organizing interviews and working closely with network anchors, going a mile a minute. As always. We went to the cafeteria for a coffee, and she began peppering me with questions about my family, my job, my dreams. Anytime we spoke, she always made me think hard about what I doing at that moment, whether I was happy, and I, like many of you,  appreciated her candor and wisdom. The last time we spoke at the reunion, I listened as she talked about her excitement and the pride she felt as a mom, and how she was putting her heart and soul into her son. Then someone pulled her away, and I thought, darn, we need more time to catch up. Hearing of her passing recently, and the few details that were shared, I'm not surprised by her strength and resilience. She was a tough fighter with a passion for life, and for everyone she touched. I'll miss her.    

Kate, Liz, Joe and Caroline, I am so sorry to hear of the loss of your sister Mary.  She was a great person, full of life and driven to succeed. She lived life to the fullest. I have been thinking back to our childhood  in South Brookline, Infant Jesus Parish, Baker Elementary School  and Brookline High and all these memories come flooding in. Please know I am thinking of you all, your families and Mary’s son Leo. You are all in my prayers. You all have a special angel watching over you in Mary. Such a special person, who will be sorely missed.

We have another star in the sky to guide us. Thank you Mary for your friendship and for all the laughs. Victor Ortiz (ABC)

What a wonderful tribute to a wonderful talented woman.  I unfortunately never met Mary but know her sister Lizzy and can only imagine the bond.   The entire Senecal family sends our condolences to everyone and especially her son.   May you All find Peace and Love - xoxo  Nancy Senecal Peacock and Family

I am so saddened by this news. I met Mary 25 years ago while working in New York. I am going to miss our great conversations. My  condolences to Mary's family. May she rest in peace.
Louis 

I am heartbroken about Mary’s accident and passing.   Heartbroken for her, for Leo, for her family, for her friends and for her colleagues. 

My best memories of Mary start when we were at Yale.   My dear friend Nancy Cowen and I were in a nice but not particularly exciting Suite at the top of Vanderbilt Hall. Next door was a suite of boys and if you walked through that suite  you entered Mary’s suite.  There, Mary was the light and the glue of the group of five roommates. She had a unquenchable enthusiasm and sense of humor, always trying to stir up some fun.  She was an incredibly smart, beautiful, precocious, and mischievous young woman - often to be found at Rudy’s surrounded by a group of admiring boys. She had a wonderful sense of humor and lit up any room. Simply, there was Something About Mary. 

Mary  and I lived in NYC together after college. She slept in the one 6 x 3’ bedroom while I slept in the living room. She had the only closet in the apartment and had so many clothes jammed onto hangers in the closet that you literally could not pull a hanger out.  I don’t know where the heck she got all those clothes because neither of us had much money in those days.  At least one of us was well dressed.

I am so glad we kept in touch over the years though it was sometimes hard with Mary’s constant travel and work commitments.  My perception was and is that Mary faced many challenging situations in her life. With her strength, determination and drive, she was able to surmount  them but this one proved too much.  It is really so cruel.  It’s hard to imagine this world without her. 

Mary, rest now with peace and know how admired and loved you were. I’ll see you in my thoughts and dreams. 

Love you. Jenny 

Mary was a bundle of energy, positivity, and kindness who drew people into her orbit like a magnet. She touched so many along the way and I am grateful to be one of them. May her memory be a blessing, always.

To the Walshes and Leo:  I'm sorry for the loss of our Mary.  Her spirit will always be with us - it was too strong to dull.  She was so proud of all of you.   Love this picture from our high school yearbook and how this quote she chose guided her life.   

Love, Cheryl 

I was shocked and saddened to read this on the ABCSeniors page.
I first met Mary and worked with her when she was with Newsone. We shared many a story and a laugh during our daily calls when I was in Boston.  I loved Leo as well who often visited Boston while producing stories.  I shared a few wonderful cookouts with both of them at the Kennedy compound when the family held their annual gatherings for the media.  We always sat together and partied for hours with Ted, Ethel, and the rest of the Kennedy clan,( never would that be allowed these days)
She was always so vivacious and I loved her stories of growing up in Brookline with her firefighter father and  Irish roots.  My heart breaks for her son and hope he will carry on  with the strength, smarts and love for life as both Leo and Mary.     Katie Marquedant

Walsh family,
I am deeply saddened for your loss. Mary and I shared a few good laughs together at B.H.S. May she Rest In Peace.

Love,
Mark Epstein-Norris

Mary was the most beautiful and sweet classmate in my high school. I was always in awe of her for the way she carried herself. She was so loved by all her classmates. 

AVIS DE DÉCÈS

Mary Frances Walsh

27 février 1960 – 3 février 2022

Joseph Gawler’s Sons, LLC

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