Mary Hellert Dow of Methuen, beloved mother, grandmother, great grandmother and dear friend taught us how to live life with passion, purpose, gratitude, and grace. She passed away on April 2, 2016, at the age of 90. Born in Des Moines, IA in 1925, Mary was raised and educated in the Midwest, before moving to Portland, Oregon where she met her future husband, US Navy Lieutenant Don Dow. She moved across the country to marry Don in his hometown of Methuen, and where Mary called home for 65 years.
For Mary and Don, family came first; they had three children. Mary shared her enthusiasm for life with her family, travelling around the world with them, downhill skiing, and creating an extended family of close friends and her children’s friends who looked to her as their second parent, always with an open home and arms. Mary found pleasure in her gardening, swimming laps in the pool, and her annual retreat to Sanibel Island, FL with her family.
Mary was a career trailblazer as a woman in the construction industry for over 60 years. With her strength and independent spirit, Mary made her mark in the industry. The Dow Company, that she and Don continued to grow, were part of such transformational construction projects as the development of the interstate highway system in the 1950s and 1960s and Big Dig in the 1990s and 2000s. Throughout her career, Mary served on many industry boards, including the Greater Lawrence Ladies Home Auxiliary, the National Association of Women in Construction, and the Construction Industries of Massachusetts. She approached her roles with strong conviction in her principles, imparting them to her company, family, and the women she mentored in the construction industry. Mary was twice a Greater Lawrence YWCA Tribute to Women (TWIN) honoree, most recently in 2015.
Mary stayed active in the Dow Company, now run by her son’s Mike and Mark and grandsons, Todd, Brent and Dana. Over recent years, she was able to spend more time gardening at her home, enjoying the company of her cat, George, and enjoying a gin and tonic with her family over a meal.
Her greatest legacy is the large family she leaves behind; including her sons Michael Dow and his wife Gail (Pedler) of Dracut and Mark Dow and his wife Linda (Marchand) of Methuen, and daughter, Donna Korb and her husband Eric of Windham, NH. Mary was the proud grandmother of Todd Dow, Brent Dow, Chad Dow, Dana Dow, Sara Dow Coles, Ashley Korb and Sean Korb. She was the cherished great grandmother of 11.
Friends and guests are invited to call on Wednesday, April 6, 2016 from 4:00 PM until 8:00 PM at the Kenneth H. Pollard Funeral Home, 233 Lawrence St. Methuen. A Mass of Christian Burial will take place on Thursday, April 7, 2016 at 11:00 AM at St. Monica’s Church of Methuen. Interment to follow at Walnut Grove Cemetery of Methuen. Donations in Mary’s memory may be made to the M.S.P.C.A. Nevins Farm, 400 Broadway Methuen, MA 01844 or to J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge, 1 Wildlife Dr. Sanibel, FL 33957. For directions and online guestbook, please visit the funeral home website, www.pollardfuneralhome.com. The Kenneth H. Pollard Funeral Home is honored to serve the Dow Family.