Mary E. Wyman

Mary Eileen Wyman, a resident of Dedham MA, died on Monday, July 11 at the Linden at Dedham. She was 106 years of age. Mary is survived by her niece Donna  Marshall of Passumpsic Vt, and her nephews, David Corsini of Willimantic CT, and Paul Weismann, of Berkeley, CA. Like her two sisters, who lived to reach 103 and 104 years,  Mary had a strong constitution. She was the oldest retiree in the Massachusetts Teachers Association. She graduated from Wheelock College – it was her mother’s influence that encouraged Mary and her sisters to pursue higher education, a privilege that was not common for women in those days. Mary taught first grade at the Ames School in Dedham from 1938 to 1978 where she enjoyed the engagement and novelty that 6 year olds provide. Mary  had an amazing memory for  dates and events, and even at 106 she would remember our birthdays, our children, gifts that we had given her, and stories she would share with us from the olden days. If her teaching experience trained her memory, it was her love and attachment to her family that kept her memory fresh for her lifetime. Mary held herself to high standards – one quality of hers we enjoyed was her sense of humor. Her delivery was superb, as was her effort, as it isn’t easy keep it all together once 100 years have passed – one’s comic timing can be off a beat. But she loved to laugh, and we loved to share that joy with her. She was very generous in that way, she always wanted to please us, and she did. We will miss her and remember her tenacity and graciousness. Private interment was in Brookdale Cemetery in Dedham.