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Mary Katherine Reynolds, 54, of Great Barrington

The family of Mary K. Reynolds will receive friends on Saturday, February 1, 2025, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., followed by a memorial service at 12 p.m. at Finnerty & Stevens Funeral Home.

Mary Katherine Reynolds, 54, of Great Barrington, passed away peacefully on January 28, 2025, at her home surrounded by her loved ones. Mary fought a courageous yearlong battle with bladder cancer. Her strength, determination, and refusal to give up will forever be remembered. She was an inspiration to all those around her.

Born September 16, 1970, in Great Barrington, to her mother Barbara Spirydowski and father Charles Spirydowski, both predeceased. Mary grew up on Cone Avenue in Housatonic where she was one of eight siblings. Her siblings are Donna (predeceased); Anne McDermott (Doug, predeceased); Linda Wolford (Jim); Carol Ryan (Bill); Barbara Fowler (Rob); Charles Spirydowski (Patti); and Nancy Spirydowski. Mary loved spending time with her siblings growing up, getting into all sorts of trouble. There is nothing she wouldn’t do for her brother and sisters and her many nieces and nephews, all of whom she adored. She also leaves behind her mother-in-law Beverly Reynolds, with whom Mary and Mark lived, and her sister-in-law Marci Reynolds.

Mary Katherine Reynolds.

Mary spent much of her life with her beloved husband of 35 years, Mark Reynolds. In 1989, one of their greatest joys and accomplishments occurred when they welcomed their only child, Justin Reynolds of New Hampshire, to the world. Mary was a natural mother. She worked hard as a young mother to provide her son with an amazing life. She was loving, kind, and would move heaven and Earth for her child. Anyone who knew Mary could tell you how much she enjoyed being a mother. She would tell everyone how proud she was of Justin. They spent the majority of their marriage living with extended family on Fairview Terrace in Great Barrington. Family meant the world to Mary.

Mary attended Monument Mountain Regional High School and then went on to establish her own cleaning business. During her years of cleaning local residences, she developed many important friendships with her clientele, including the Prospect Lake Crew. She took great pride in the work that she did and the business that she had established, and she had continued to work regularly right up until her illness. Mary was also very artistic and for a time put this skill and passion to work running a silk-screening business.

Mary was a fun-loving, vibrant, and sassy woman, with an amazing sense of humor. It was impossible to spend time with Mary without sharing some laughs. She had an incredible wit and uncanny ability for wise cracks. She was warm and inviting; you felt at home with her right way, whether you knew her for years or were a stranger. She loved music and dancing and insisted on enjoying herself no matter where she was. She had a heart for helping others and loving unconditionally; no matter who you were and what was going on, she was always there with a hand up if you needed it. She was fiercely loyal and protective of the ones she loved. She was the friend who you could call day or night, and she would be there to listen and probably tell you to come over for a drink. She was a bull dog lover and adored her furry son Chumlee. She lit up a room when she walked in it, and she was friendly with everyone she came across. Mary couldn’t get through the grocery store without being stopped multiple times by friends. She also enjoyed relaxing with her family and watching a movie with her husband Mark and Grandma (Mark’s mother Beverly) or catching up on her favorite show, “90 Day Fiancé.” Overall she just enjoyed being around people she loved, that quality time and her connections with others are what meant the world to her.

May she be remembered for her incredibly huge and generous heart, her toughness and tenacity, her spunk and sharp wit, her love of laughing and having a good time, those dance moves, and the love with which she blessed us all. We were lucky to have been loved by her. We will be hard pressed to find a better mom, wife, sister, auntie, friend, etc. There will be a hole in so many of our lives that will never be filled. She would remind us life is short, so love hard and have fun doing it, no matter how tough the times get, and don’t forget to laugh.

Much thanks to all the medical staff at BMC Cancer Center and Urology and Lahay Clinic, along with those who took care of Mary through the emergency room and inpatient stays. The family would also like to show appreciation to everyone who has been with them through this last 11-month rollercoaster. It would not have been possible to get through this without all your support.

The family of Mary K. Reynolds will receive friends on Saturday, February 1, 2025, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., followed by a memorial service at 12 p.m. at Finnerty & Stevens Funeral Home, 426 Main St., Great Barrington, MA 01230. In lieu of flowers, it is requested that donations be made to the Phelps Cancer Center in Pittsfield, directly or in care of Finnerty & Stevens Funeral Home, 426 Main St., Great Barrington, MA 01230. To send remembrances to her family, please visit the funeral home’s website.

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Alexandra Leys ‘Sandy’ Rickenbacker, 94, of North Andover, Mass.

In-lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Edgewood Retirement Community in North Andover, Mass., in memory of Sandy Rickenbacker.

A. Peter Kulberg, 73, of Lenox

A memorial service was held on Friday, February 7, 2025, at Grace Church Congregational, and a committal will be held in the spring on Hampton Beach.

Mary Anne Kirby, 85, of Lenox

The funeral will be Friday morning, at 11 a.m., at St. Ann’s Church, with the Rev. Monsignor John J. Bonzagni, Pastor, and Rev. Christopher J. Waitekus, Pastor of St. Mary’s Church in Longmeadow, con-celebrating the Liturgy. Burial will follow in St. Ann’s Cemetery.

The Edge Is Free To Read.

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