MARY AHERN

1922 - 2021

AHERN--Mary Virginia, age 98, of Peabody, Massachusetts, passed away May 1, 2021 at the Brooksby Village Continuing Care Center. Born in Cambridge in 1922, she graduated Cum Laude from Radcliffe College in 1942. She was a television pioneer and became one of TV's earliest producers. Ms. Ahern served as Vice President and Associate at Robert Saudek Associates, producers of television specials including "Opening night at the Lincoln Center" with Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic, which was the first live program from the Lincoln Center. She produced features on music, history and theatre for "Omnibus" hosted by Alistair Cooke, including a series of seven programs with Leonard Bernstein. She was also a script editor for "Profiles in Courage," the 26 one-hour series based on John F. Kennedy's book. Ms. Ahern was the first curator of the Paley Center for Media and served on the Advisory Board of the Research Center for Arts and Culture at Columbia University. She also served as an Acquisitions Specialist at the Library of Congress from 1986-1989, and brought the entire NBC Archives of Radio and Television for preservation at the library. Ms. Ahern received Radcliffe College's Alumnae Achievement Award in 1967. She is survived by three nieces, Mary H. Ahern and Sharon A. Ahern, both of Albuquerque, New Mexico and Joan N. Curry of Falls Church, Virginia. Memorial gifts in her honor may be made to The Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library at Radcliffe College. For online guestbook, please visit: ccbfuneral.com.