Mary Ann (Kling) Phillips, 92, formerly of Southborough and Norwood, died peacefully in the presence of her family, on Sunday, September 1, 2024.
Born July 25, 1932 in Plainfield, NJ, Mary Ann was the daughter of the late Charles and Margaret (Kaine) Kling. She grew up in South Plainfield, NJ, and earned her B.S. in Chemistry at Georgian Court College in Lakewood, NJ. In 1955 she married Bernard Phillips, and together they raised 10 children. They lived in Norwood, MA for 40 years, and later moved to Southborough to be nearer to their children.
Mary Ann lived the Gospel, running a volunteer program to feed the hungry at the Pine Street Inn, welcoming refugees of conflicts global and personal, and using her own home to shelter the homeless. She visited the imprisoned through her work with the Second Thoughts program at MCI Norfolk, and provided counsel, comfort, and material support to pregnant women in challenging circumstances. She was devoted to bringing about a peaceful and just world, even when it meant sacrificing her own comfort, and she encouraged those around her to do the same. In 1996, in recognition of her work, she was honored by the U.S. Olympic Committee as a Community Hero and chosen to carry the Olympic Torch on its route to Atlanta.
Mary Ann loved classical music, a passion which she passed on to her children, many of whom became talented musicians. A high point of her holiday season was the annual trip with her son Mark to performances of Handel’s Messiah.
She enjoyed the annual family camping trips, first at Prince Edward Island, and later for over 30 years at Nickerson State Park on Cape Cod. Along with the stays at Nickerson were trips to her beloved Marconi Beach – the unspoiled beauty and ruggedness matched her spirit. She was pleased to see her children and grandchildren continue the tradition of Nickerson vacations to this day.
She also enjoyed sewing, Sudoku, and the constant companionship of her cats.
Mary Ann is survived by her children Janie and her husband James Schwab, Teresa and her husband Charles Katuska, Stephen and Sam, Robert and his wife Kathleen, Paul and his wife Joan, Christopher and his wife Diane, Michael and Sonia, and Anne Marie and her husband Charles Heinle. She is also survived by sisters Sr. Margaret Jane Kling C.S.J.P., Frances Spann, and Roberta Gregory. She leaves many grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and “adopted” children, who were always in her thoughts. She was predeceased by her husband of 56 years, Bernie, sons Mark and Andrew, and a sister Kathryn.
A Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Saturday, October 19, at 11 a.m., at the Church of St. Anne, 20 Boston Rd., Southborough MA. Interment will be private.
Donations may be made in her memory to Mary’s Pence (https://maryspence.org).
(Photo and Obituary via Legacy Remembers)
Mary Ann was proof that you could be devout and still have a wicked sense of humor. My condolences, especially to her children, many of whom I have been privileged to know.