Mary Bundy
Mary Lothrop Bundy died in her sleep in Manchester, Massachusetts on August 8 at the age of 97, after a brief illness. She spent the last weeks of her life surrounded by her family.
Mary was born in Boston, the eldest child of Francis and Eleanor Lothrop. She attended Shady Hill School, Madeira School, and Radcliffe College, where she was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and received the Captain Jonathan Fay Prize, then the College’s highest undergraduate honor. At every school she attended, she made lifelong friends. From childhood on, Mary was drawn to the generosity and inclusiveness that she experienced in the Episcopal Church, a connection that sustained her until the end of her life.
After college, Mary taught French at the Brearley School and served as Assistant Dean of Admissions at Radcliffe. In 1950, she married McGeorge Bundy—their union lasted until his death in 1996. Mary and Mac shared a love for ideas, high ideals, and family and friends, as well as a gift for fun and laughter. They had complementary strengths: Mary was warmed and encouraged by Mac’s infectious optimism, and Mac learned from Mary’s deep kindness and sensitivity to others. During the 1950’s they had four sons and began a tradition of befriending both the children of their friends and the friends of their children.
A central focus of Mary’s life work was the advancement of women. As a trustee at Radcliffe and the second woman overseer at Harvard, she was a consistent advocate for gender equity, particularly in connection with the merger of the two institutions. In the corporate world, she was a pioneering woman director at Levi Strauss & Co. and Corning, Inc. She also served as a board member at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Hazen Foundation, and the Foundation for Child Development, among others.
In her fifties, Mary went back to school at Hunter College School of Social Work, receiving an M.S.W. in 1978. She worked at the Jewish Board of Family and Children’s Services in Brooklyn and for a number of years had a private psychotherapy practice in Manhattan. After 46 years living in New York, the adopted city she adored, she retired in 2012 to Brookhaven in Lexington, Massachusetts, where she renewed old friendships and formed many new ones.
For more than half a century, Mary was active in civic and political life. She worked with the League of Women Voters and on numerous local and national electoral campaigns. She was an engaged activist, making calls and writing cards for her chosen candidates until well into her eighties. Later, no longer able to campaign, she continued to provide generous support for the causes she believed in.
Mary is survived by her sons Stephen (Cynthia Colvin), Andrew (Karen Hansen), William (Paula) and James (Anne Tofflemire); her grandchildren Emma (Sam Grossman), William, Benjamin Hansen-Bundy, Evan Hansen-Bundy, Fiona, Hugo, Eleanor, and Mary; two great-grandchildren, Owen and Jack Grossman; and a small army of nieces, nephews, and godchildren. Mary’s husband Mac, her brother Frank Lothrop, and her sister Jane Gardiner preceded her in death.
Mary was a remarkable person. She combined intelligence, beauty, and charm with kindness, generosity, and grace. Less immediately apparent, but no less important, were her courage, determination to do the right, and commitment to action and service. Her wisdom and compassion made her an effective board member and therapist – and a special friend.
At every stage of life and wherever she went, Mary nurtured an extensive network of lively and joyful connections across the generations. Most of all, together with Mac, she created a loving family that is her greatest memorial. A service to celebrate her life and legacy will follow this fall.
For those who wish to honor her, in lieu of flowers, her family suggests a donation to the Osborne Association, the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, or any other cause that the donor believes in.
