Mary Elizabeth Keith (Barnette)

Beloved Community Member | Lifelong Boston Resident

Mary Elizabeth Barnette, “Beth,” was born on December 21, 1947, in Boston, Massachusetts, to Benjamin and Ethelyn Barnette. She was raised in a loving home alongside her sisters, Gail and Frances.

Mary attended Jeremiah E. Burke High School for Girls and graduated in 1965. A gifted musician, she was a classically trained pianist and flutist who performed with the Boston Junior and Senior Symphonies and the concert band.

In 1966, Mary married Ronald H. Keith Sr., and from that union, her son, Ronald Hampton Keith Jr., was born. Later in life, she was in a relationship with John H. McElrath, and from that union, her daughter, Jocelyn E. McElrath, was born.

Mary began her career in 1967 with the Massachusetts Department of Revenue. She rose through the ranks of the Audit Division, serving as a Tax Examiner, Field Auditor, and Audit Supervisor. She served communities across Massachusetts, including Springfield, Natick, Cambridge, and Chelsea. She retired in 2010.

After retiring, she honed in on giving back. She continued to serve on the alumni committee of the Jeremiah E. Burke School for Girls. She nurtured her lifelong love for music by singing alto with the Cambridge Community Chorus, where she also served on the board. With the chorus, she traveled to perform in Japan, Hawaii, Scotland, Bermuda, and Italy. She also enjoyed traveling with family and friends to Ghana, the Bahamas, and on numerous visits to Jamaica.

A devoted community advocate, Mary served on the board of Boston ABCD (Action for Boston Community Development). She worked alongside regional directors on food-pantry initiatives and was committed to the Elder Services Division, which provided grocery carts and other essentials for the Senior Brown Bag Program. In 2016, Mary received the Community Heroes Award at the ABCD annual gala, a reflection of her compassion, leadership, and unwavering dedication to others.

Mary volunteered at the Food Project, where she rekindled her passion for gardening and helped community members get started with their own gardens at home or on-site in the Food Project greenhouse. She also helped distribute produce to individuals and families in need. Her home garden was always abundant with vegetables and flowers, which she generously shared with family, friends, and neighbors.

To many, Mary was affectionately known as “Ma,” extending warmth, welcome, and open arms. Some of her favorite recipes were her infamous waffles, turkey soup, seven-layer salad, lemon drop cookies, lemon meringue pie, apple pie, cranberry sour cream cake, chocolate pistachio cake, carrot cake, and countless other treats lovingly prepared.

Mary was predeceased by her parents, Benjamin and Ethelyn Barnette. She is survived by sisters, Gail DellaPiana, Frances Mattocks(Paul); her son, Ronald H. Keith Jr.,(Pamela), her daughter, Jocelyn E. McElrath; grandchildren, J’Karah Brown, Khary Brown Jr., Ronald H. Keith III, Leila Keith, and Carter Simpson; niece and nephews, Danielle Giscombe (Peter), Libero DellaPiana (Judith LeBlanc), Benjamin Mattocks (Kristen), and Bradley Mattocks; grandniece and grandnephews, Maia McLemore, Yusef McLemore and Gabriel Mattocks; and cousin, Shirley Cooper. She leaves behind extended family, friends, and colleagues whose lives she touched.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests a donation in her memory to ABCD Boston or the Cambridge Community Chorus. To mail in donations, please send them to the following:

1. Action for Boston Community Development (ABCD)
2. 178 Tremont Street
3. Boston, MA 02111
4. 
   
5. Cambridge Community Chorus
6. P.O. Box 390278
7. Cambridge, MA 02139-0022
8. 
   

A memorial service is being planned for March 2026. If you would like to receive more information about the memorial, please send an email to [email protected].