WHEELER, Mary H. “Mardy” (Harrison)
On Thursday, March 28, Mary “Mardy” (Harrison) Wheeler passed away, in her sleep, with her beloved husband, David, by her side. Having endured health challenges related to Alzheimer’s Disease, her tranquil passing provided her loved ones with the blessing of a peaceful passage. Mardy was born in Easton, Maryland on May 9, 1938. Mardy’s parents, Robert Butler Harrison and Alice (Elizabeth) Fontaine Harrison; and brother, Robert C. Harrison, were part of the military family and Mardy spent much of her youth living with her family in several locations, including two years in Turkey. Mardy attended high school at Walsingham Academy in Williamsburg, Virgina, graduating in 1956. Mardy and David met in New York City in 1961 and quickly fell in love. They joyfully wed in May, 1962, in Sparkill, NY and then moved to Old Town, Maine. They welcomed their first child, Paul in 1965 and in 1968, Mardy earned a BA in English from The University of Maine. Just one year later, the Wheelers gladly embraced Mauri’s arrival and settled in an old farmhouse in Monmouth, Maine. Life in Maine was busy; Mardy was quite involved in town life and loved entertaining. She was incredibly passionate about the arts and theatre, traveling extensively to enjoy Broadway and London Theatre shows often. She also supported the local playhouse by hosting the seasonal professional Shakespearean actors, that came in from New York, at her home. Mardy worked for an insurance company in Lewiston, Maine, as a personal manager. The company promoted her and moved the family to the Boston area, where they settled in Natick in 1978. Mardy was in Liberty Mutual’s corporate Human Resources Department, before moving to the Loss Prevention Department as Director of Training. Both departments recognized her outstanding talents in designing, introducing and facilitating training programs for management, organizational change, career development and interpersonal and consulting skills. While at Liberty Mutual, Mardy pursued and earned her Master’s Degree in Human Resources and Development from The American University, Washington, D.C. in 1982. After 19 years, Mardy retired and formed Kendall & Wheeler, a training consulting partnership with Betsy Kendall. They were adjunct faculty members at UNH, BU and Bryant College and designed and facilitated training programs and workshops for a variety of businesses and government organizations for seven years. HRD Press published their book, A Quality Foundation. Mardy loved opera, classical and contemporary theater, occasioning trips to New York City, Oregon, Ontario, England and Italy. She loved traveling to Kiwanee, Illinois to meet dear friends and enjoy the annual hog festival. Mardy loved the people she met and always made friends, whether she spoke their language or not. She also enjoyed many trips to Alaska, Canada and Europe with David and the grandchildren. Mardy was always a prolific writer. Besides authoring two management training manuals, she published two books of poetry and six books of fiction. She was a hospice volunteer and taught courses locally in bereavement. She was also active in the League of Women Voters. She is survived by her cherished husband, David; children, Paul Wheeler, Marjory (Mauri) Tetreault; their respective spouses, Elizabeth Wheeler and Gene Tetreault; grandchildren, Timothy and Angela Wheeler, Emily, husband, Adam Ryba, MaryEllen, husband, Timothy Nietupski, Jacquelyn, husband, Benjamin Johnson and
Joseph Tetreault; great-grandchildren, Jackson and Sophie Ryba and Millie Nietupski; nephews, Randolph and Scott Harrison and Danny and Matthew Wheeler. Also friends, neighbors and numerous former mentees whose lives she positively influenced. Family and friends will honor and remember Mardy’s life by gathering for a Visitation at the
John Everett & Sons Funeral Home, 4 Park Street, NATICK COMMON, on Thursday, April 11, 2024, from 4 to 7 PM, with a short Memorial Service to be held at 6:30 pm. Interment will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations in Mardy’s memory may be made to
The Alzheimer’s Foundation. To share a memory with Mardy’s family, kindly visit: everettfuneral.com
John Everett & Sons Natick 508 653 4342