Mary explored in her vocal work a spectrum of soul rarely encountered in contemporary culture. Her commitment to healing the human soul through music led her to teach singing to those of all ages - from the very young to parents, teachers and musicians in many contexts.

Mary’s humor and lightness of touch penetrated her teaching and led those with whom she taught and sang to a deeper understanding and use of one of our most intimate human instruments - the Voice. She rejoiced in pure music and encouraged all to Sing, yet not only to Sing, but to unlock this sacred gift of Voice in our lives and our world.

Mary was also a taskmaster of sorts, working toward the highest standards for herself and those fortunate enough to work with her, always pushing toward heights that without Mary’s touch may well have been unattainable. Through Mary’s remarkable work it often seems that the heavens are opened and our consciousness bathed in Divine Light and Love.

Mary lived to influence these times and was deeply appreciated for her gifts of creativity, joy, and unconditional dedication to Singing.

Mary, singer of the heavenly spheres, rest in joy-filled peace.

Mary Lived from the 7th of October 1960 to the 30th of August 2007

Please feel free to leave a comment on this post.

As planned by husband Sven and friends too numerous to count, a glorious Memorial for our beloved Mary was celebrated Sunday night, October 7, her 47th birthday, at Prairie Hill School. The gym was transformed by the work of many, many hands into a beautiful, glowing hall, filled with flowers and candlelight, a montage of Mary’s life in phtographs, an enormous silken parachute draped from the ceiling and walls as backdrop for the presentations that evening.

A warm, inviting environment was thus created for the outpouring of song, music, dancing, sharing of memories and stories,even Mary’s favorite jokes, all tributes from the hearts and spirits of those who truly loved and esteemed Mary, her work, and the unique, genuine connection each felt with her.

The evening was so Mary! I felt her presence throughout, knowing she was groovin’ on all the music, the joy and laughter, telling us not to be sad on her account. As her mother it was an evening in which my heart swelled with pride as well as with so many other emotions as the tributes kept coming, often from people I had never met before. The realization of what Mary had created in terms of being of service to so many through her music and just being herself was a very comforting gift, and will continue to be in the months and years ahead.

I thank you for accompanying us on this very intense journey these past 15 months or so. Your kindness, love, and compassion have been palpable at times and a source of nourishment and enrichment always as we come to terms with Mary’s absence from this physical world. Nevertheless, I have no doubt whatsover that she will continue her work on the other side as well as continue to penetrate and inspire our lives and our work on this side until we too achieve transcendence. And then she will be there, laughing and singing, to help us across.

This will be my last posting. I will keep the website up for another month or so to encourage those who wish to communicate further. It has been a great honor to serve as your ’scribe.’ Wishing all of you ever greater joy, grace, light and love as you continue on your journeys, wherever they may take you.

Suzanne/Mom

Dear Ones,

Our Mary has graduated this life with the highest honors. She passed over to Spirit quietly and rather unexpectedly at home, a mere 24 hours after returning from LA where she worked with a healer and helped her uncle Bill celebrate his 55th birthday. Living life fully up to the very last.

What a teacher she has been to so many of us, including me. She taught us to take risks joyfully, to folloiw one’s dharma or life purpose wherever that takes one, to live with joy, and to find/create beauty in the ordinary. How she loved shiny, beautiful things, be it jewelry, scarves, clothing, flowers, dishes. Life was always brighter after a visit with her.

That doesn’t mean life was always easy for her. She experienced many challenges and difficulties that I believe tempered her steel core, covered usually in a velvet glove, but a steel core nevertheless. Her lessons were especially poignant this past year as her health was increasingly comprimised despite the best of medical and complinentary treatments.

Just as she taught us how to live, she taught us how to die–consciously, courageously, and with great integrity.

The community outpouring of support and ‘love in action’ was incredible prior to and following Mary’s death. Child care, meals, running errands, whatever needed doing was met. Sven and his carpenter friends built a cedar coffin.

Mary had a traditional funeral meaning that she lay in state at home for three days, beautifully dressed by Sven and their two daughters. What a gift to family and friends who could then move in and out of her special room, taking whatever time they needed to say goodbye and offfer prayers for her spirit to ascend.

By the third day she was indeed gone from this life, resurrected and in the Divine light. That Sunday (only a week ago?) she was gently transferred to her coffin in the front yard, where family and friends were gathered in a circle, surrounded by sunshine, flowers, birdsong, and butterflies, singing and final goodbyes. An inspiring service was then held at Michael Fields nearby with the focus on aiding her spirit to return Home.

Join me in celebrating the incredible life that was Mary, will you? Rejoice in all she accomplished for such a relatively short life, and the legacy that will continue through her work and music for generations to come.

There will be a Memorial Service at Prairie Hill School where she taught music and the girls now attend, on October 7, her 47th birthday. The two-CD set she completed just two weeks before her death will be introduced, I STILL HAVE JOY, and made available. (More information will be available on her continuing website: naturallyyoucansing.com) I will add a final update after the Memorial service. Namaste, Suzanne