Mary Doyle Wolff passed away at home surrounded by her family in Sherborn, Massachusetts on September 21, 2026 after a long battle with cancer. She was 79.
Born in Cambridge on March 20, 1947, Mary was the only child of John and Kathryn (Wilkins) Doyle. Growing up in West Roxbury, she went by Mary Elizabeth because her aunt, Mary Wilkins, also lived in their house. Mary was an adoring and dedicated daughter and niece, a model of how to care for family.
Mary earned A.B. and M.A. degrees in English at Boston College where she made lifelong friends, eventually becoming Godmother to three of their children. She taught English for 11 years in the Boston Public School system (Brighton High) where she rose to department chair and also coached tennis. Deciding on a career change, she went on to earn a certificate in Technical Writing and worked as a Technical Writer, Editor, and Documentation Manager at Cognex Corporation. A beloved “Cognoid” for 13 years, it was there that she met her husband Robert. They married on August 2, 1987.
Mary would say her next role was her favorite and most important: mom. She raised two boys, John and Douglas, instilling in them the value of education and engaging in the community. She volunteered her time generously at Pine Hill Elementary, helping both in her sons’ classrooms and fundraising for the school. She tirelessly hosted sleepovers and themed birthday parties, cheered her sons and their friends at sporting events, and worked to provide them with every opportunity. She served for many years on the Sherborn Boy Scout Troop Committee as Advancement Chairperson, shepherding young men on their path to becoming Eagle Scouts. An avid cook and baker, Mary shared her love through food, from creative birthday cakes and holiday desserts to preparing and delivering Meals on Wheels. Mary was overjoyed to become a grandmother four years ago, and prized every moment with her grandchildren: baking with sous-chef May, visiting the DC cherry blossoms, reading bedtime stories, and riding the swan boats.
Mary felt a deep sense of gratitude to the Town of Sherborn she called home for 33 years. She volunteered six years on the Advisory Committee, including two years as Committee Chair, providing oversight of the town's operating budget and stewardship of the town’s financial health. She was elected Town Moderator and served for seven years, presiding over the Town Meeting and recruiting other volunteers for public service to the town on the Advisory Committee and Capital Budget Committee. She brought electronic voting to Town Meeting. Ever the teacher and community builder, she started a knitting group that still meets today at the Sherborn library. In this group, she shared her passion for the craft and taught a number of new knitters. Countless baby clothes, toys, scarves, and other projects are testaments to her skill and treasured reminders of the thoughtfulness and generosity she stitched into everything she did. Many of her projects can be seen on www.ravelry.com where she was user "lilacsandlavender".
Above all, Mary loved and was loved by her family. She is deeply missed by her devoted husband of 39 years, Robert Anthony Wolff of Sherborn; her two children John Edward Wolff of Boston and Douglas Anthony Wolff (Mary Soule) of Washington D.C.; and her two grandchildren May Margaret Wolff-Soule and Arthur Robert Wolff-Soule. She was a cherished member of a large and loving extended family: sister-in-law to John and Anne Wolff Rich, Ned Wolff, Tim and Kathy Wolff Upson, and Vin Wolff and Martha Young; Aunt Mary to seven nieces and nephews and their children.
Visiting hours will be held at the George F. Doherty & Sons Funeral Home, 477 Washington St., Wellesley on Monday September 28, from 4 to 7 PM. A Funeral Mass will be held at St. Paul Church, 502 Washington St. Wellesley on Tuesday, September 29, at 10 AM. Relatives and friends kindly invited. Interment will be held, following Mary’s Funeral Mass, in St. Joseph cemetery in West Roxbury.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to your favorite charity. Some of Mary's favorite ones are food pantries (A Place To Turn in Natick), homeless shelters (The Pine Street Inn in Boston), women's shelters (Rosie's Place in Boston), and organizations such as Catholic Charities, the Red Cross, and Doctors Without Borders that aid people all over the world who are impoverished or suffering from a natural disaster.