Born and raised in Alliance, Ohio, Mary attended the Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, OH where she graduated, cum laude, with a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science in 1986. From there she headed to Washington, D.C. where she obtained her J.D. from the George Washington University National Law Center in 1989 and became a member of the Maryland Bar. She practiced law in Annapolis and Severna Park from 1989 to 1996, at which time she took a leave of absence to be at home with her two children.
In 1998, she, her husband and their children moved to Bad Aibling Station, Germany, for four years with her husband’s job. While there, the Holy Spirit nudged as the Holy Spirit has been known to do (!) and Mary became active with the Catholic parish on the nearby U.S. military base, eventually taking over as coordinator of the religious education program during their final year there. Upon returning to the States, she and her family settled in Grasonville and became members of Our Mother of Sorrows parish.
Following God’s call (and Holy Spirit nudging) to continue in the Ministry of Faith Formation, she returned to education and earned her Master’s Degree in Religious Education from the Loyola Institute of Ministry of New Orleans through their extension program. She was hired by Fr. Mark Kelleher to become the full time Director of Religious Education at Our Mother of Sorrows/St. Peter the Apostle parish in 2007.
Mary now resides in Queenstown with her husband of nearly 25 years, their dog, Sailor, and their cat, Boomer. Boating has always been a key component of their relaxation time, whether it is sailing, kayaking, or “puttering” about. Living in Europe further sparked her love of travel, camping, and hiking, but what keeps her grounded always is her Catholic faith and her love for her family, both near and far. Stop by her office and she will happily and proudly show you pictures of her children!