Mary Newton-Lima

Mary (Catherine) Newton Lima of Falmouth passed away peacefully on the morning of October 5, 2025 after living with and through cancer for three years. Mary maintained her sense of humor and connected with her deep love for her family and friends until the end. Her mother, Ann, said her first words were “I do” and that independent streak shaped every aspect of her life.

Mary, born on January 24, 1970, spent her early years in Wilton, Connecticut with her parents Ann and Jim, and her older brother Steven. She graduated from Wilton High School and received a National Merit Scholarship in 1988. She earned her Bachelors of Science degree from Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT, majoring in environmental studies. She did her final semester of college in Cairns, Australia, spending time diving and studying the Great Barrier Reef. She earned her Master's degree in Marine Science from the University of Miami, in Miami, Florida. It was also in Miami where she met and fell in love with Ivan Lima. Her passion for ocean ecology and the environment shaped her 30 year career in environmental research and advocacy and her passion for travel.

Mary and Ivan Lima were married on October 2, 1999. They lived in Boulder, CO, and Seattle, WA, traveling, camping and hiking during any free time before moving to Falmouth in 2003. They were able to reaffirm their love for each other on their 26th wedding anniversary this October.

Mary had a wide ranging career, most recently working as Assistant Director at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sea Grant. Prior, she was a Research Coordinator for the Coonamessett Farm Foundation, an Environmental Scientist with Tetra Tech, a Quality Control Inspector at Foster Wheeler Environmental, and a Pollution Control Inspector with the Miami Department of Environmental Protection, where she notably figured out that a backup of oranges in the sewer system came from prisoners at a nearby facility protesting living conditions by flushing citrus down the toilets, a story she took glee in relaying in her deadpan style.

Mary was a powerful advocate for her children, celebrating and encouraging her children’s self expression and varied interests. She was a devoted wife and daughter. Whether it was learning about Brazilian cooking and culture to bring a piece of Ivan’s home country to their home in Falmouth, or making time to go to Connecticut to help her father prepare an apartment for rent, she was always there for her family.

As a friend, Mary could be counted on for a chat, a glass of wine and good conversation, but most especially for a good adventure. She was not afraid to take risks or get dirty, whether it was road tripping across the country with a friend just after college, eating bean and cheese quesadillas and sleeping on the ground for weeks to save money, scuba diving in Saint Maarten just a few years ago, or climbing mountains. Mary was an avid traveler. In 2024, in between courses of chemo, she travelled to Iceland with her mother and to Alaska on her own.

She was a lover of theater, drag, science fiction, horror, and all things off-beat. She found a capella groups and choirs to sing in wherever she lived, and was a creative writer, digging into the Young Adult genre, drafting novels that expressed what she was concerned with, the inner lives of teens, as she helped her own children negotiate those tricky years. Her sharp wit and humor were encapsulated by her husband Ivan's quote, “She never let a ball roll that she didn’t take a swing at.” And she really dug sharks.

Mary made the world a better and lovelier place.

Mary is survived by her husband, Ivan Lima, her children Cecilia and Julia, her parents Jim and Ann Newton, and her brother Steven.

In lieu of flowers, Mary requested (absolutely on-brand) that donations be made to the American Elasmobranch Society https://elasmo.org/. Mary stays with us by continuing to educate us about her passion for the interconnectedness of all life. A Celebration of Life will be held at the Newton Lima home on November 15, from 3-6 pm. Please contact MaryNewLimMemorial@gmail.com for details. Please bring your stories of Mary to share, remembrances will begin at 4pm. There will also be a Celebration of Life service on January 24 at the Wilton Congregational Church in Wilton, Connecticut.