Mary Schlesinger

Dr. Mary L. Schlesinger, Ph.D., age 82 of Boulder, died suddenly on June 28, 2017, in apparent good health, participating in a dance group at the Avalon Ballroom, an activity about which she was passionate. She was born Mary Louise Phelps on January 16, 1935 in Sigourney, Iowa, to parents Charles and Dorothy Hoffman Phelps, who predeceased her. She attended public schools, graduated from Sigourney High School, Class of 1953, then obtained a B.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Iowa in Iowa City, despite parental pressure to get married instead of pursuing her education. Mary joined the faculty of the University of California,moved to the University of North Carolina and then to the University of Colorado Boulder in 1966, where she worked in the counseling center. She later formed her own psychological counseling practice in Boulder, which she continued to pursue actively until her death. She was a founder of the Boulder Community for Emotionally Focused Therapy. Mary loved her patients and her practice and saw no reason to give it up. Mary was a top scholar, beauty queen and accomplished musician in high school and college, playing the cello there and throughout her adult life, joining the Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra.She was an avid dancer, enjoying a variety of dance styles, and she pursued skiing, wind surfing, hiking her beloved Flatirons, gardening and traveling, frequently visiting her children in Ohio and California as well as many worldwide locations. Mary is survived by her son Arthur and his two children, Gardner and Dara; her son Thomas and his wife Sudha and their two children, Divya and Jay; her brother, Thomas Phelps and his wife Elizabeth, and their son Charles, his wife Monica and their children Riley and Avonlea; and a large number of loving friends. A memorial celebration of Mary's life will take place in Boulder on Saturday, August 5, 2017 at 1 p.m. at The Avalon Ballroom, 6185 Arapahoe Road, Boulder, CO 80303. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions may be made to The Nature Conservancy in Mary's memory. Online tributes are available through Legacy at The Boulder Daily Camera.