Mary Brownlie

Mary Clare Brownlie, age 91 a long-time resident of Chelmsford and Westford, passed away peacefully in her sleep, on Monday November 10th, 2025. Mary was heartbroken when she lost her first daughter Deborah, just recently on October 1st, 2025.
Mary was born in Dracut on May 21, 1934, and was the daughter to the late Russell Bradford and Louise Shea. She grew up in Lowell and was a graduate of Keith Hall and went on to begin her nursing studies, when she met her cherished husband, Bill Brownlie. They were married for 56 years and raised five children in Chelmsford.
She was a beautiful woman who loved decorating, birds, her beloved dogs that she had throughout her lifetime, a fantastic cook whipping up elaborate meals at holiday times and was an avid gardener who enjoyed attending several garden tours around New England. She loved huge Christmas trees and literally always had the largest one on her street; supervising the activities of organizing the ornaments and lights and making sure it looked stunning. She loved Cape Cod, and had resided there; renovating a home she and her husband had for several years. She loved quilting and was a member of the Garrison House in Chelmsford. She loved her newspapers and read the NY Times, Boston Globe and her Lowell Sun and Chelmsford Newsweekly faithfully. She did her cross word puzzles routinely, always keeping her mind sharp, even up to her last days. She loved reading everything – books, magazines (Town & Country & Gourmet) and would often send little clippings with a little comment or two in her impeccable penmanship to her children.
Once her children were older, she went back to nursing school to resume her nursing studies and graduated from the Lowell General Hospital School of Nursing at the age of 38. She was one of the first nurses to be hired at the former Lahey Clinic Foundation, when it moved from Cambridge to Burlington. She instilled in her daughters the foundation of always striving for financial independence; making sure that even if they would marry one day, they always had a means of making their own income to support themselves.
She dedicated her life for her children, ensuring for their well being and happiness and supported them; whether it was getting up before sunrise to drive her daughter Katie to the skating rink or singing a lullaby at the hospital bedside, to her grown daughter Beth. She was selfless in her role as Mother and Wife, putting everyone else's needs before her own.
One of her most admirable and remarkable qualities was her ability to move forward in life with hope and steadfastness while enduring life's sorrows. Her depression-era upbringing along with her sense of humor and pragmatic nature served her well in this world and her children will forever miss and love her to the end of their days.
Mary leaves behind her sons, William D. Brownlie of Jacksonville, VT, Edward B. Brownlie (Ted) of Portland, Maine; her daughters Elizabeth J. Rogers (Beth) and her husband Mark of Berwick, Maine and Katherine A. Brownlie (Katie) of Westford; her step-sister Diane McKay of Charlotte, NC and her cousin, Lauren Pelland of Lowell.
Her Funeral Services and interment will be held privately.
"May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind be always at your back, may the sunshine warm upon your face, the rains fall soft upon your fields, and until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of His hand".