Mary Kathryn Gaffney was born on December 5, 1947, in Framingham, Massachusetts. Mary’s parents, Italo Trombi and Kathryn Trombi née O'Donnell, came from disparate immigrant families and worked hard to forge new beginnings in the aftermath of World War II. They saw that work ethic in Mary, who passed it along to her children and grandchildren. “Before we left home, she made sure we could cook a meal, do our own laundry, and change a tire,” her eldest son remembers. 

In 1966, Mary became the first woman in her family to attend college. While earning a Bachelor of Science at Boston College, she continued to break down barriers by fighting gender discrimination on campus. She would go on to earn two masters degrees in education from Northeastern University. 

In 1975, she and her husband Terence saw that Boston was entering a renaissance, and they wanted to be part of it. They bought a house on Burr Street in Jamaica Plain, where for 50 years, they and their neighbors worked collectively to fix up their old homes, raise their children, and enrich their lives through community. Mary was in the center of this work, called by one neighbor “the soul of Burr Street". As President of the School Parent Council, she led the community in building the school a playground, which still stands 40 years later. 

As her four children grew up, Mary returned to teaching. The John Marshall School in Dorchester faced all the challenges of an underfunded inner city school, but Mary’s no-nonsense strength bolstered the special education department there. She eventually became the leader of the "LAB cluster," a research-backed effort to close achievement gaps through mentoring new generations of teachers. Most important, she would tell you, is to be present. “These kids tell you what they need. Your job is to help them be heard.” She treasured and nurtured every child who entered her classroom as if they were her own.

In her retirement, Mary devoted herself to her children, grandchildren, and to quilting. Many of the children who grew up on Burr Street were gifted baby quilts by Nana Mary. Her grandchildren snuggled in her quilts as she shared with them her love of books. Her quilts mirror the beauty she saw in the world around her, from the beauty of an ocean sunset or a quiet walk in the woods, to the beauty we find in one another. 

Mary Gaffney died on November 9, full of years but gone too soon. She was preceded in death by her parents and her brother, James Trombi. She is survived by her brother Paul Trombi; her husband of 55 years, Terence; her children Joshua, Peter, Kathryn, and Rachel; and her grandchildren Sofiya, Frances, and Dara.

Join us to celebrate Mary's brilliant life, 11AM Saturday, November 15 at Saint Mary of the Angels Church, 377 Walnut Street, Boston.