Mary Wood

Mary Therese Wood, 92, died on October 4, 2015, at the Porter Hills Retirement Community where she had been a resident since April of 2010.  Ms. Wood was born on January 5, 1923, in Delavan, Illinois, the daughter of Charles Brown and Amy Merstetter Wood. 

 A talented pianist and organist, Ms. Wood attended Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, where she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Music.  She pursued further studies in piano at the Philadelphia Conservatory of Music where she acquired a Master’s Degree of Music in Piano.  She then moved to New York as a piano student of Madame Genia Robinor who arranged her debut as a concert pianist in the Carnegie Recital Hall in New York.  She also performed as piano soloist with the St. Petersburg and Clearwater Symphony Orchestras in Florida.

 Ms. Wood maintained a summer home in Wequetonsing, Michigan.  She performed solo concerts at the nearby Bayview Association and also sang in the Bayview chorus. She served for some years as summer organist at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Harbor Springs, Michigan, and at Holy Cross Catholic Parish in Cross Village, Michigan.  In later years, her work was much admired on occasions when she played the organ at services of the St. Edward’s Catholic Church in Pembroke Pines, Florida. 

 Mary Therese was generous with her time and talent and often played at informal gatherings of family and friends.  Surviving family members have fond memories of hearing impromptu concerts by their cousin at family gatherings. It was inspiring to hear her precise and expressive playing of challenging piano works by classical composers. 

 Ms. Wood is survived by her cousins, Nancy Stewart Pobst and husband Dick of Grand Rapids, Michigan, and David Wood Stewart and wife Billie of Asheville, North Carolina.

She is also survived by her long-time friend, Bertha Levy, with whom she lived for thirty-two years in New York City, Newark, and Pembroke Pines, Florida.  She was affectionately known as Tia Maria by members of Bertha’s family and was godmother to one of Bertha’s grandsons. 

 A memorial mass in memory of Ms. Wood was said at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Peoria, Illinois, on October 10.  Entombment was at the Community Mausoleum in Springdale Cemetery, in Peoria. Services of Intention in memory of Ms. Wood will be held at the Holy Childhood of Jesus Catholic Church in Harbor Springs, Michigan, on October 9 and 10, 2015, at 8:00 AM.  A memorial mass at the same church will be held on July 28 2016, at 8 AM.   A memorial mass was also said at the Montserrat Catholic Church in Guatemala City where Mary Therese spent many happy hours with members of Bertha Levy’s family. 

 Gifts in memory of Mary Therese Wood may be made to the Little Traverse Bay Humane Society, 1300 W. Conway Road, Harbor Springs, Michigan 49740.

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