Mrs. Mary A. Kelley (Kelleher) Iverson

February 20, 1934 - November 13, 2020

Mary A Kelley (Kelleher) Iverson, passed away at the Advanced Care Center in Clearwater, FL, where she enjoyed the warm weather, on November 13, 2020. Mary, always young at heart, never wanted her true age to be known. Mary, born on February 20th and raised in Lowell, MA, was the only child of Francis J. Kelleher (past Fire Chief of Lowell, MA) and Katherine Kiernan Kelleher. She attended Notre Dame High School in Tyngsboro, MA and studied at Boston College prior to marrying. In 1966, she moved to Salem, MA to continue to raise her family. Mary was married for 20 years prior to becoming a single mother. She worked very hard as a singer and piano player, to support her four children, while attending college to complete her degree in Early Childhood Education. After graduating from Salem State College Mary worked a variety of jobs, usually simultaneously, to continue to provide for her children. Her passion and God-given talent to play the piano by ear, which is a rare ability and known as perfect or absolute pitch, brought countless joy to others through the years. She once wrote that “Music is an expression of love and every note that I play you are part of that beauty”. She was a life-long Democrat and often volunteered her efforts to various campaigns throughout the years. She will fondly be remembered as one who stepped in to help others who were struggling and in need of help and always as one who never said goodbye, but rather, “bye for now”. Mary is predeceased by her parents; her loving husband, Howard Iverson; and daughter, Claire Kelley, whom she never got over the tragic loss. She is survived by her daughter, Ellen (Kelley) Tavis and her husband Dennis of Burlington, MA; two sons, William (Bill) Kelley of Salem, MA and Francis (Frank) Kelley and his wife Lynn of Saco, ME; one step-daughter, Maura Hooper of Tampa, FL; seven grandchildren: Bryan and Scott Tavis of MA; Joseph and Julia Kelley of ME; and Brandon and Courtney Beacher of FL; and Mary Margaret (Beacher) Almozayen and her husband Ammar and their children of FL; and her friend who she referred to as a granddaughter, Sarah Ali and her two children. Arrangements will be made by Fay McCabe Funeral Home in Lowell, MA. There will be a private family memorial held at a later date. Please consider donating to a charity of your choice in Mary’s name.