Mary Nell Stuber

Mary Nell Stuber died on October 1, 2025, two weeks shy of her 77 th birthday. She was a warm, smart, curious, funny, intense, courageous person who led a rich and beautiful life. Born in Memphis on October 16, 1948, she hitchhiked to Colorado in her early 20s with a tiny backpack holding her three favorite record albums: Joni Mitchell's Blue, Jefferson Airplane's Surrealistic Pillow, and Pentangle. She moved through careers in real estate and insurance before finishing her working life at REI.

Mary was a passionate nature lover, birder, naturalist, storyteller, teacher, photographer, and adventurer, and a beautiful singer/guitarist. She shared a series of essays called Nature Wise-soon to be published as a book-with a community of readers, mixing her photography with an articulate and deeply-informed folksy eloquence about whatever interested her, often on travels through the Southwest and on birding expeditions. The title, Nature Wise, came from her practice of looking to nature for guidance when she was trying to understand her own life, including her cancer journey. She opened the eyes of many. One friend wrote that "Mary's most extraordinary gift was sharing her knowledge and experiences with others-engaging us in the intricate and the simple rhythms of the natural world."

She was a volunteer naturalist and raptor monitor for Boulder County and directed Boulder County Nature Association's education program for six years. She belonged to the Rocky Mountain Canoe Club and the St. Vrain Photographic Society. She was a member of the Denver Women's Chorus and then for 23 years, a member of Resonance Women's Chorus in Boulder.

She carried an AA chip in her pocket for 39 years.

She is survived by her partner of 34 years, Sue Coffee, who loved her deeply, and Sue's family, as well as by many friends and members of her community.

Mary lived with ovarian cancer for four and a half years. Huge gratitude to her oncologist, Dr. Sravanthi Ravulapati, and her team at Kaiser Rock Creek; the nurses in the Rock Creek infusion room; the staff at Trail Winds Hospice and The Natural Funeral; and to the singers of Resonance and Sound Circle for the circle of love and support that surrounded Mary and Sue during this cancer journey. A parting thought: ovarian cancer is often diagnosed late because its symptoms are vague and easily mistaken for other things. If something feels funky, pursue it with your doctor.

Mary embraced Taoist philosophy in the last few years of her life. She wanted to die gracefully and with gratitude. She was sincerely at peace as death approached, knowing that "nothing could be more natural," that she was completing the circle of life that began with her birth. A downy woodpecker appeared at the window moments after her last breath.

Family and friends will join in a celebration of Mary's life later this month.

Donations in her name can be made to Black Swamp Bird Observatory, the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, or the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition.