MARY ELIZABETH HENDERSON VISE

July 5, 1937 - December 2, 2024 Mary died peacefully in Hamilton, Ontario, on Monday, December 2, 2024, at the age of 87. She was deeply loved and cared for by her children, Samuel and Esther; her daughter-in-law, Sherri; and her beloved grandson, Miles. She will be greatly missed by them and by the many families, friends and communities of which she was a part. Mary was a compassionate and empathetic individual, deeply committed to her family, community, and the pursuit of justice. She had a deep love for music and cherished her connections with family and friends, especially on the farm. She also had a profound appreciation for the beauty of nature, particularly birds and her many gardens. She embraced her family, friends, and community with unwavering kindness and grace. Mary was born on July 5, 1937, in Abington, Pennsylvania, to Elizabeth Royer Henderson and Theodore Arthur Henderson. She was the oldest sister to Susan, Jean, and Connie. As a child she delighted in her loving family, the natural world around her, books and reading. Mary's love of music began early in her childhood as she sang in her church and school choirs. Her father played the banjo for family singalongs, a tradition that continued throughout her life. She started playing the piano, at which she became quite talented. Mary became inspired by classical music when she attended the Philadelphia Orchestra's Children's Concerts and listened to piano and organ played exquisitely by her grandmother. In 1959, Mary graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Simmons College in Boston and received her Master's degree in Organic Chemistry from Columbia University in 1962. She met Joseph Baruch Vise at Brookhaven National Laboratory in their summer student program in 1958 and they were married in Ambler, Pennsylvania, a year later. Mary and Joseph lived in Long Island, New York, where Mary worked in the Chemistry Lab at Columbia University until Joseph completed his PHD in 1963. Their shared progressive values and ideals shaped the course of the rest of their lives. Over the next fifteen years Mary and Joseph travelled, lived and worked in Guatemala, Kenya, Cuba, Canada, Zambia and Botswana. Their first two children, Esther and Samuel, were born in Nairobi, Kenya, and their third child, Jonathan, was born in Havana, Cuba. The family moved to Toronto in 1977, where Mary continued teaching chemistry until 1980 when she decided to pursue her dream of becoming a librarian. She graduated in 1982 with a Master's in Library Science from the University of Toronto. She began her new career as a Resource Librarian at the Cross Cultural Communications Centre, and later at the Canadian Environmental Law Association, where she was the Founding Librarian for the Resource Centre for the Environment and the Law. She retired in 1997. In 1996, their son, Jonathan, was diagnosed with cancer, and passed away two years later at the age of 25. Mary and Joseph cared for Jonathan, allowing him to pass away at home with the support of family and friends. In 2001, Mary and Joe moved to their beautiful farm near Tweed, Ontario. During the last decade of their lives together, they were grateful for the beauty, independence and sustainability of their life on the farm. In 2011, their grandson, Miles, was born, bringing immense joy to his grandparents. Joseph passed away in Tweed in 2013, surrounded by the love of his family. Mary continued to live on their farm until 2021 (with winters in Toronto), when she moved to Dundas, Ontario, to live with Esther and Sherri. Mary's heartfelt capacity to feel compassion and joy for others connected her across generations and cultures, and in every neighbourhood she found herself. She was active in anti-apartheid struggles, Latin-American solidarity work, anti-racism, Indigenous solidarity and environmental Justice movements. She loved music, and alongside Joseph was a volunteer usher for Tafelmusik and Toronto Consort orchestras for decades. She sang in choirs and was part of Toronto's Songfest group. In her 50s, she was gifted a cello by Jonathan for her birthday and delighted in learning and playing it – on her own, in duets, with volunteer orchestras, and at music camp. Mary cherished canoe-trips in Temagami, annual sisters' trips, travels to Italy with friends and family, and visits to Boston, Connecticut and Seattle to see loved ones. She treasured her book club with close friends in Tweed, and walks with friends across fields, forests, and the streets of Toronto. Mary and Joseph raised their family with both Jewish and Christian traditions, cooking delicious Passover meals, Christmas dinners, Thanksgiving feasts with family and friends, and always many pies. In her last few years, Mary loved her weekly Zoom calls with her sisters, attending Miles's basketball games, participating in online Tweed Sit and Fit classes, and her daily routine of coffee, morning treats, and cat snuggles while listening to CBC classical music for hours. Mary remained active until a fall on November 29th, after which she was admitted to Hamilton General Hospital. The family extends heartfelt thanks to the medical staff for their care and support during her final days. A celebration of Mary's life will be held in Toronto in the new year, with more information to come. In lieu of flowers, donations in honour of Mary are suggested to The Canadian Environmental Law Foundation and Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra.