Mary D. McKelvey

Mary D. McKelvey, 91, died on December 5, 2023, at the Grafton County Nursing Home in North Haverhill, New Hampshire. Mary Therese Downs was born in Manchester, New Hampshire on September 12, 1932, to Frank J. Downs and Alice M. Cunningham.

Mary graduated from St. Joseph High School in 1950 and then graduated from Notre Dame College in Manchester, New Hampshire with a Bachelor of Arts in Music in 1954. She married George C. McKelvey, Jr. on September 3, 1955, in Woodsville, NH. She taught for 33 years in the Haverhill School System teaching music and later science. Mary then worked for 7 years as the Enrichment Coordinator at Blue Mountain Union School in Wells River, VT arranging speakers, field trips and providing career education.

Throughout her life, Mary enjoyed traveling with her family and spouse to Ireland, Bermuda and Toronto, as well as music of all kinds including playing violin with the NH Symphony Orchestra and fiddle with The Boys, a local band. She also got pleasure out of driving her many Camaros, dining at the Happy Hour Restaurant, flower gardening, and cultivating African violets. Mary had many interests including astronomy and astrology and wrote about them in a column for The Bridge Weekly. One of the highlights of her life was meeting and sitting on a panel with candidate Barack Obama. Mary loved talking to people from all walks of life, spending time with her many dogs over the years, shopping with friends and family, feeding birds and watching wildlife in her yard.

Mary was predeceased by her parents, her husband, George C. McKelvey, Jr. and siblings, David Downs and Eleanor Riordan. She is survived by her son, George McKelvey III, daughter-in-law, Judy Griffin McKelvey of Newport, VT and granddaughter, Meredith McKelvey of Watertown, MA. She is also survived by several nieces and nephews. Mary is also survived by her longtime Horse Meadow neighbors, Peter and Shauna Kimball as well as Elizabeth Morrill and Tim Card.

Calling Hours are on Monday, December 18, 2023, at 1:00 pm followed by the funeral at 2:00 pm with Melissa Gould as funeral celebrant at the Ricker Funeral Home & Cremation Care of Woodsville, 1 Birch Street, Woodsville, NH. Burial will be in the Horse Meadow Cemetery, North Haverhill, NH on Friday June 7, 2024, at 10AM

The family would like to thank the dedicated caring staff and administration of the Grafton County Nursing Home for their extraordinary care. In lieu of flowers, please donate in Mary's memory to the Grafton County Home Association, 3855 Dartmouth College Highway, N. Haverhill, NH 03773 or a charity of your choice.

To offer the family an online condolence please visit www.rickerfh.com

Ricker Funeral Home & Cremation Care of Woodsville is assisting the family.