McDonough, Mary (Keough), age 72, of Somerville, Massachusetts, passed away suddenly on January 9, 2020.
A daughter of the late Albert Keough and Kathleen (Mellett) Keough, she is survived by her beloved son, Ryan McDonough of Long Beach, California; his wife, Jill Provost; and a grandson, Wylie (who just turned six). She also leaves siblings Barbara Daley of West Roxbury; Susan Donnelly of Boston; Peter Keough of Boston and his partner, Alicia Potter; Teri Keough of Cambridge and her ex-husband, Calvin Innerarity; as well as two nephews, two nieces, four great-nephews, and two great-nieces. Many cousins mourn her passing as well.
Born in Boston on April 6, 1947, Mary was raised in Quincy, Stoughton, and Roslindale and attended St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Jamaica Plain. Majoring in art history at Regis College, she went on to teach elementary and middle-school art in Boston Public Schools for nearly thirty years, including at the Thompson in Dorchester, the Rogers in Hyde Park, and the Agassiz in Jamaica Plain. She was a talented artist in her own right, and her portraits and landscapes hold a favored place in loved ones’ homes.
A staunch Red Sox fan, Mary took her son, Ryan, to many games at Fenway during his years growing up in Roslindale and other Boston neighborhoods. She was a familiar parental presence during his six years at Roxbury Latin School and a number-one fan at his games (three sports a year) and theatrical performances. Mary carried her enthusiasm to Ryan’s time at Princeton, traveling to New Jersey to cheer on a cappella concerts with the Tigertones and musical theatre with the Triangle Club.
Mary was also a lover of words—a voracious solver of crossword puzzles and an advanced Scrabble player who competed in tournaments. She excelled at games of skill and strategy, from jigsaw puzzles to bridge. Above all, Mary was an insatiable reader, primarily of mystery novels, and left no Hercule Poirot or Agatha Christie unturned. One sister suggests that a perfect epitaph for Mary would be: “I’d rather be reading.”
A service will be held on Friday, January 17, from noon to 1 p.m., at the chapel at St. Michael Cemetery, 500 Canterbury Street, Roslindale, 02131; 617-524-1036. It will be followed by a gathering at the Landmark Public House, 772 Adams Street, Dorchester Center, 02124; 617-982-3000 (on-street parking, not in the lot). In lieu of flowers, guests are invited to make a donation to a charity of their choice.