MARY LOUISE SZÉKELY

1940 - 2019

SZÉKELY, Mary Louise (Davis) Beloved Mother and Grandmother Innovative Software Engineer Mary Louise Székely (née Davis), age 78, passed away peacefully on June 3, 2019 after a long battle with cancer. Her family was by her side. Mary was born on September 5, 1940 in Engadine, Michigan, to Alfred Clare Davis and Margaret Louise Davis (née Andree). In her final months, she lived in the Bedford, Massachusetts area with her children. Mary is survived by daughter Julie Anna Székely Paine, her husband Jerry Paine and their son Aiden (Josh) Gregory Paine; daughter Jennie Székely and her son Nicolas Székely; daughter Cathryn Mae Székely, her husband Claudio Corsi and their sons Luciano Székely Corsi and Giovanni Székely Corsi; son Louis Alfred Székely and his daughters Kitty Wees Székely and Mary Louise Székely (II); brother John Davis and his wife Sue Davis; niece Brenda Davis Harsham, her husband Bret Harsham and their children Theodore, Kyle and Anna Harsham; and her extended Székely family from México. Mary grew up in Engadine and Owosso, Michigan where her father, a teacher, was head of the math department in Owosso and superintendent in Engadine. Her mother was a nurse. Mary had an insatiable thirst for knowledge. She was her high school's valedictorian. She studied mathematics, philosophy and computer science at University of Michigan, and then Ohio State University, where she obtained a BS in Mathematics and was inducted into the Phi-Beta-Kappa and Pi-Mu-Epsilon national honor societies. She then spent the summer studying German at Harvard University, where she met Luis M. Székely and married him in 1961. They had 4 children (divorced 1978). They lived in Cambridge, MA, Washington DC, and then Mexico City for 6 years, where she became fluent in Spanish and worked as a teacher. In 1974, they returned to the US, living in Newton, MA. Mary worked as a math and science teacher for a year, then took a computer science course at MIT, which earned her a position as a software engineer at a time when there were rarely any women in that profession. After her divorce, she raised her 4 children single handedly, while supporting them and paying for their education, by pursuing a rigorous and successful career in computer software. In 1982, she became the 4th co-founder and first employee of Progress Software Corporation, where she worked developing software until she retired in January of 2013. She pioneered new technology in countless areas of the product, worked tirelessly, and was deeply respected and admired by her customers and colleagues. Mary was an exceptionally intelligent, generous, and loving person. She played mandolin, loved to paint flowers and scenes in nature, and spoke Spanish and Italian. She was always a teacher at heart, tutoring and mentoring her children, grandchildren and colleagues in math, science and software, even in her final months. She brought positivity, humor and warmth to every situation. Mary was loved and revered by family and nearly everyone who met her. She will be profoundly missed, and her memory will be forever cherished. Memorial Service to be held the weekend of August 24/25 (details TBD). Memorial donations may be made to: 1. mspca.org/donate-now Mary donated regularly to the MSPCA in honor of her beloved dogs, Ticket and Teddy the Bear. 2. voicesofhopeboston.org This group sings to raise money for cancer research at MGH Boston, where Mary received world-class treatment.

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