Mary E. Riordan – 87, of Old Orchard Beach, passed away peacefully at her home with her son, Kevin, and his fiance, by her side on Friday, July 10, 2026, in Old Orchard Beach, Maine, after a short battle with cancer.
Born on August 6, 1938, in Worcester, Massachusetts, Mary was the daughter of the late James Murphy and Julia (Hardiman) Murphy.
Mary graduated from St. Peter’s High School in Worcester, MA. in 1956. She went on to attend the College of Our Lady of the Elms, where she received her Bachelor’s Degree in 1960. Mary continued her formal education and attended Framingham State University in Framingham, MA., where she obtained (2) Masters Degrees in Chemistry and Biology. She later went on to receive an Honorary Doctorate from Anna Maria College in Paxton, MA., in 2017.
On August 22, 1964, she married the love of her life, Paul J. Riordan, of Worcester, MA. Together they built a family rooted in love, loyalty, and laughter. They settled in Auburn, MA, and she became a vibrant member of the community by becoming a member of the Conservation Commission. Mary and Paul welcomed a son, Kevin Paul, in August of 1965. Mary, at that time, chose to stay at home and raise their son. Mary was very involved with the protection of wetlands and the environment. Mary also was a member of the Central Massachusetts Regional Planning Commission. She was the first woman to ever hold this distinct position, where she served as the Director and Chairwoman, from 1978-1981.
As a member of the Board of Trustees of her alma mater, College of Our Lady of the Elms, Mary drew upon her experience to forge new ways to educate women for the 21st century. Beginning her professional career as a science teacher in the West Boylston school system, Mary taught at the Yeshiva Academy before joining the faculty of Holy Name, Central Catholic High School, in 1980, where she began teaching Science. In 1985, she was the class moderator and the graduating class dedicated the Yearbook to her. She encouraged her students to think and often told them “She was not just the dispenser of answers”. Within a few years, Mary had excelled in teaching and was appointed the Department Head of Science. Mary was then named its Principal in 1987, where her leadership, characterized by commitment to personal and professional growth, prompted her students and staff to follow her by example. If Principal wasn’t challenging enough, Mary then went on to become the Headmaster of Holy Name in 2001. It was during this time, she realized the schools energy bills were extremely costly.
So, Mary had an idea and ran with it. In November of 2006, aided in research by four Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) undergraduate students, Mary planned to harness clean energy on Vernon Hill in Worcester, where she took a major step forward, announcing a $575,000 grant from the state’s Renewable Energy Trust, to construct a wind turbine. The grant helped design and build a new 600-kilowatt wind turbine on the campus of Holy Name Central Catholic Jr./ Sr. High School. Mary was very committed to this green energy project. She tirelessly raised funds to complete the $1.7 million dollar project. The turbine, which is located adjacent to the football field on the school’s campus, generated enough clean electricity to power approximately 135 homes. The school used 54 percent of the power, while the rest went into the electric grid. The turbine, was installed in November of 2007, standing approximately 262 feet tall to the tip of the blade. Mary said, “There is no doubt that saving tens of thousands of dollars is critical to the school, but as an environmentalist, I have a real passion for this project and what it means in terms of being a good steward of the environment”. Mary was President of Holy Name from 2007-2012. Mary retired from education in 2012, after more than 40 years.
Mary was happiest in the early 1970’s, when she and Paul purchased their first travel trailer and traveled with their son Kevin. What started off as weekend get-a-ways, soon became (2) full cross country trips. Mary also traveled to 13 countries and 48 US states. In 1981, Paul and Mary purchased their first vacation camp property in Freedom, New Hampshire, along the Kezar Lake. Mary also loved going to “camp” in the winter and skiing at nearby Breton Woods with Paul and Kevin, as well as other family members. Mary considered this a sanctuary to escape the pressures of work. Mary and Paul, decided after many years, to sell their beloved camp and purchase a home in Old Orchard Beach, Maine, to be closer to their son. Mary loved listening to the police scanner, where her son worked as a policeman at the Old Orchard Beach Police Department. Mary also loved her Irish family deeply. Mary took great pride in spending quality one on one time with all of her immediate family. She enjoyed making holidays very special for everyone. Another favorite of Mary’s was celebrating her Irish heritage on St. Patrick’s Day each year. Mary was an avid sports enthusiast. She loved women’s college basketball, but her passion was her beloved Boston Red Sox. She began watching them at the young age of 7, and continued until her death. She was highly pleased when they recently swept the Yankees all four games at Fenway Park. One of Mary’s other favorite past times was playing the card game, Gin, with her son.
Mary thoroughly loved going out for Sunday breakfasts with Kevin and Audra at Stack’s in Scarborough, ME., as well as special lunches with her life long friend Ginny Cross. Mary also enjoyed special times with a former teacher and friend, Steve Grieger of Worcester, MA. Mary was deeply entrenched in her Irish-Catholic faith and enjoyed attending Catholic mass, saying her rosary and reading her prayer cards daily.
Mary was predeceased by her beloved husband, Paul Riordan; her sister, Kathleen Convery, and brother, James Murphy.
She is survived by her devoted son, Kevin, and his fiance, Audra L. Blaney of Scarborough, ME., her sister, Sheila Daw of Holden, MA., along with several nieces, nephews and great nieces and great nephews, who brought her immense pride and joy.
Mary will be remembered for her kindness, unwavering love for her family, and the steady, gentle presence she brought to every room she entered. Her legacy lives on in the many lives she touched. Mary achieved many educational awards throughout her lengthy career, but always remained humble and never basked in the limelight. To this day, many of her former students, still remained in contact with Mary up until her passing, which a true testament to the impact she had upon them, all these years later.
Calling hours are Friday, July 17th in O’CONNOR BROTHERS FUNERAL HOME, 592 Park Avenue, Worcester, MA from 4:00 until 7:00 PM. Her funeral is Saturday, July 18th with her Mass at 10:00 a.m. in St. John’s Church, 44 Temple Street, Worcester, MA. Burial will immediately follow in St. John’s Cemetery, 260 Cambridge Street, Worcester, MA.