Mary Beth Phelan
1951 - 2026
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Mary Beth Phelan, age 74, died on March 15, 2026 in Bellingham, WA surrounded by family. She was born on August 15, 1951 in Rocky River, Ohio.
Mary Beth is survived by her seven siblings Kathy van Rijn (Willem), Ellen McCann (Joe) , David Phelan (Kathy), Martha Phelan, Amy Phelan, Chris Phelan, Jennifer Bensen, thirteen nieces and nephews and countless friends. She was predeceased by her parents Irene and David Phelan.
Mary Beth graduated from The Academy of Saint Elizabeth in Convent Station, New Jersey before attending Indiana University. At Indiana she earned her Bachelor of Science and became a nationally ranked swimmer and co-captain of the swim team. Fiercely intellectual and curious, learning was a lifelong and neverending pursuit. Mary Beth went on to complete graduate work at the University of Idaho, earning a master’s degree focused on lignin degradation research. She continued studies in the Advanced Technology Program at Carnegie Mellon University’s Institute of Technology.
Her professional career began in the telecommunications industry. Mary Beth held a series of field and operations management roles at Pacific Northwest Bell and US West, later working in operations and systems engineering at Bell Communications Research. She went on to serve as Technical Director in the IT Department at Pacific Telesis, and then with Telcordia International, working on projects around the world including Dublin, London, Rome, and Johannesburg.
Though her professional achievements were substantial, Mary Beth’s most meaningful work began when she retired from corporate life in 2003. In 2009, Mary Beth became a Certified Environmental Steward through Rutgers University. She also trained as a Wilderness First Responder, combining her love of the natural world with practical care for others.
Mary Beth spent five winters volunteering in Yellowstone National Park with the Yellowstone Institute, supporting field classes in the Lamar Valley. She also volunteered with the U.S. Forest Service in the Mount Baker Ranger District for thirteen summers, helping steward the public lands she loved deeply.
Her spirit of service extended beyond the outdoors. Mary Beth completed the Jin Shin Jyutsu certification program through Atlantic Health Systems, where she volunteered providing care to cancer patients, hospice patients, seniors, and people experiencing homelessness. She served as President of the Board of Living Voices and volunteered with Big Rock Garden Park, living out her deep commitment to caring for both people and place.
Throughout her life, Mary Beth felt most at home near water. Lakes Erie, Kewayden, Wayne, Crescent, Whatcom, all of which and more marked the seasons and places of her life. Swimming was a daily ritual until her final days. Of the many places she lived, proximity to a lake was not a preference but a requirement.
A few months before her passing, Mary Beth published Mind Walk with a Seeker, a book that serves as her ethical will. Those who knew her remember a singular and incomparable sister, friend, aunt, and colleague—known for her keen mind, extraordinary generosity, and sense of humor. She lived with quiet conviction and deep care for others, leaving those she touched kinder and more connected. She will be missed beyond measure and remembered in the woods of the Pacific Northwest, in the rattle of crows, and in the lakes she so loved. Her spirit will live on in Heather Meadows.
No services will be held. Donations in lieu of flowers may be made to Living Voices, End of Life Washington, or Friends of Big Rock Park Garden.
“For the sea lies all about us [...] For all at last return to the sea—to Oceanus, the ocean river, like the ever-flowing stream of time, the beginning and the end." Rachel Carson, Sea Around Us
---
Artwork by Sue DeLawter
See Mary Beth's favorite spot in the Mt.Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nu7OmJ0Omxw&feature=youtu.be
www.endoflifewa.org
www.livingvoices.org
Friends of Big Rock Park Garden
1901 Cornwall Avenue, #1156
Bellingham, WA 98225
Mary Beth is survived by her seven siblings Kathy van Rijn (Willem), Ellen McCann (Joe) , David Phelan (Kathy), Martha Phelan, Amy Phelan, Chris Phelan, Jennifer Bensen, thirteen nieces and nephews and countless friends. She was predeceased by her parents Irene and David Phelan.
Mary Beth graduated from The Academy of Saint Elizabeth in Convent Station, New Jersey before attending Indiana University. At Indiana she earned her Bachelor of Science and became a nationally ranked swimmer and co-captain of the swim team. Fiercely intellectual and curious, learning was a lifelong and neverending pursuit. Mary Beth went on to complete graduate work at the University of Idaho, earning a master’s degree focused on lignin degradation research. She continued studies in the Advanced Technology Program at Carnegie Mellon University’s Institute of Technology.
Her professional career began in the telecommunications industry. Mary Beth held a series of field and operations management roles at Pacific Northwest Bell and US West, later working in operations and systems engineering at Bell Communications Research. She went on to serve as Technical Director in the IT Department at Pacific Telesis, and then with Telcordia International, working on projects around the world including Dublin, London, Rome, and Johannesburg.
Though her professional achievements were substantial, Mary Beth’s most meaningful work began when she retired from corporate life in 2003. In 2009, Mary Beth became a Certified Environmental Steward through Rutgers University. She also trained as a Wilderness First Responder, combining her love of the natural world with practical care for others.
Mary Beth spent five winters volunteering in Yellowstone National Park with the Yellowstone Institute, supporting field classes in the Lamar Valley. She also volunteered with the U.S. Forest Service in the Mount Baker Ranger District for thirteen summers, helping steward the public lands she loved deeply.
Her spirit of service extended beyond the outdoors. Mary Beth completed the Jin Shin Jyutsu certification program through Atlantic Health Systems, where she volunteered providing care to cancer patients, hospice patients, seniors, and people experiencing homelessness. She served as President of the Board of Living Voices and volunteered with Big Rock Garden Park, living out her deep commitment to caring for both people and place.
Throughout her life, Mary Beth felt most at home near water. Lakes Erie, Kewayden, Wayne, Crescent, Whatcom, all of which and more marked the seasons and places of her life. Swimming was a daily ritual until her final days. Of the many places she lived, proximity to a lake was not a preference but a requirement.
A few months before her passing, Mary Beth published Mind Walk with a Seeker, a book that serves as her ethical will. Those who knew her remember a singular and incomparable sister, friend, aunt, and colleague—known for her keen mind, extraordinary generosity, and sense of humor. She lived with quiet conviction and deep care for others, leaving those she touched kinder and more connected. She will be missed beyond measure and remembered in the woods of the Pacific Northwest, in the rattle of crows, and in the lakes she so loved. Her spirit will live on in Heather Meadows.
No services will be held. Donations in lieu of flowers may be made to Living Voices, End of Life Washington, or Friends of Big Rock Park Garden.
“For the sea lies all about us [...] For all at last return to the sea—to Oceanus, the ocean river, like the ever-flowing stream of time, the beginning and the end." Rachel Carson, Sea Around Us
---
Artwork by Sue DeLawter
See Mary Beth's favorite spot in the Mt.Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nu7OmJ0Omxw&feature=youtu.be
www.endoflifewa.org
www.livingvoices.org
Friends of Big Rock Park Garden
1901 Cornwall Avenue, #1156
Bellingham, WA 98225
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Mary Beth Phelan, please visit our flower store.
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