Mary E. (Lawson) Greenleaf, most recently of Bradenton, FL, died peacefully on February 22, 2024, at the incredible age of 106. Born in Boston, Massachusetts to Georgeanne and Lorne Lawson, her family then moved to Cambridge where she was educated. Next she headed to Somerville and eventually Medford, where she spent most of her adult life. Mary began working for Hewlett Packard as part of the war effort and stayed there until her retirement in the mid-1980s.
Her journey then led her to Florida, where she enjoyed spending time with her neighborhood friends. Her heart still belonged to her Boston Red Sox and she never missed a chance to root for them on tv.
Generous by nature, on holidays Mary would host children from Boston orphanages. She knitted and crocheted hundreds of blankets and shawls, donating them to charities or gifting them to family. She also volunteered as a personal caregiver for those needing assistance.
Mary was an avid reader who used her green thumb to make her yard beautiful. It was rare to see Mary without one of her dogs who provided her joy and companionship. Over the years she also enjoyed the company of her family, including her siblings and 17 nieces and nephews.
Mary was predeceased by her parents, her 3 brothers (Lorne, George, and Charles) and two sisters (Barbara and Dorothy). She is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Lorne and Julie O'Keefe, 2 granddaughters and their families: Susan, Salvatore and Nicholas Piazza, and Sharon, Craig, Hadley and Graham Blodgett, and her nieces and nephews.
A graveside service will be held on April 16, 2024, at 11 AM at Cambridge Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the ASPCA.
