MARY LEONORA "LEE" GLENN

1940 - 2025

GLENN, Mary Leonora "Lee" (Selling) Inspiring and beloved psychologist, activist, mother, grandmother, friend. Lee Glenn, a psychologist, activist, and long-time resident of Boston's Jamaica Plain neighborhood, passed away on Wednesday, at 85, after suffering a stroke. Beloved mother of Joshua Glenn and his wife, Susan Roe, of Kingston, NY and Patrick Glenn and his wife, Kate Diana, of Milton. She is survived by grandchildren, Sam, Max, Lila, Margaret and Emmett; and Sam's wife, Kayla Sawyer. She is also survived by her brother, Bernard Selling, of Los Angeles; and nephews, Jeff and Will. She was predeceased by her second husband, Bernard Gray. Known to some family members and old friends as "Lee Lee," Lee was born in Detroit to Lowell Selling, a Jewish psychiatrist and Mary Paradis Selling, a French-Canadian Catholic schoolteacher. During World War II, the family moved to Florida, where Lee and her brother attended Winter Park High School. She and her family summered on Songo Pond near Bethel, ME, where she was a swimming instructor at Daisy's Beach. She made lifelong friends in both Winter Park and Bethel. To celebrate her 80th birthday, she swam across Songo Pond. Lee graduated from Wheaton College in Norton in 1961. She taught English at Dedham High School, during which time she earned a degree at Boston University in literacy education. As a volunteer, she taught literacy skills at St. John's Episcopal Church, Roxbury Crossing, where she met her first husband, Charles Glenn, who was the pastor of St. John's. They married and moved to 14 Park Lane, in Jamaica Plain, where their sons, Joshua and Patrick were raised. After her divorce from Charles, Lee remained on Park Lane, where she would live for nearly 60 years, welcoming each new generation of neighbors. She had a natural gift for friendship, and was thoughtful and diligent when it came to maintaining long-term relationships. A progressive, deeply concerned with social justice, she participated in numerous marches and protests in Boston, New York and Washington DC. She also volunteered her time as a community activist. Lee worked for half a century as a family therapist and couples counselor. Via her private practice in Jamaica Plain, and the Family Institute of Cambridge in Harvard Square, she provided care to hundreds of grateful clients. At age 50, she earned a doctorate in Psychology from the Fielding Institute in Santa Barbara, CA. In her 60s, she became a parishioner at King's Chapel in Boston, where she volunteered as co-warden and made more close friends. She and her sons enjoyed spending part of each summer on Songo Pond. Lee was an enthusiast for yard sales, flea markets and thrifting in all forms, enjoying the "hunt" for its own sake. She was wonderfully convivial, hosting inclusive parties and Thanksgivings, and inviting her friends along on vacations and adventures. She also loved music: playing the piano in the living room at Park Lane, and singing with the Back Bay Chorale and the Oriana Consort. "Nonie" was a steadfast source of support and unconditional love to her fiercely affectionate and loyal grandchildren. As they grew up, she also became a friend and role model to them, as a woman gracefully juggling work that she loved, family life, close friendships, and a deep commitment to activism and service to others. A Memorial Service is scheduled for 11 am, on March 14, at King's Chapel, 58 Tremont St., Boston. Reception to follow. In lieu of flowers, donations in Lee Glenn's memory may be made to a non-profit, co-founded by her son, Patrick, which provides free legal representation to children and young adults who have been denied insurance benefits to cover their mental health treatment. Checks can be mailed to: The Mental Health Justice Project, 184 High Street, Suite 503, Boston, MA 02110.

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