Mary Louise Wolman

On Thursday, February 4, 2021 Mary L. Wolman passed away.

Mary’s service will be held at Maryland Veterans Cemetery, Crownsville, MD, where she will be laid to rest with her husband, Benjamin R. Wolman. Mary is survived by her daughters, Karen Anadol and Katherine Wolman; her grandchildren Vivian Linden, Morgan van Doorn, Aurora Studebaker, Gabriella Wolman, Suleyman Anadol, and Eli Wolman-Zevin.

Mary L. Wolman was born in Beaumont, Texas on August 14, 1932. 21 years later, she would meet her husband of 51 years, Ben Wolman. Together, they would share an incredible life, most of which would be spent in Maryland. In her earlier years, Mary was a nurse in Texas and Massachusetts.

Mary and Ben spent their early years together being politically active with the Young Democrats as well as the Democratic Party of Maryland. With the groups, Mary and Ben campaigned for President John F. Kennedy and local politicians. They would also host many parties and fundraisers for the organizations, helping the political process thrive in Maryland.

Later in life, Mary found passion in caring for and riding horses, something that became a bit of a family tradition. For many years, Mary, Ben, and her family would spend their weekends participating with De La Brooke Foxhounds W, a Maryland hunt club. John McFadden, Huntmaster for De La Brooke, said of Mary and her time with the hunt club, “[Mary] provided mentoring, guidance…Mary invested all her energy into serving the club by providing direction and dedication.” When they weren’t at events throughout the state, Mary and Ben’s home in Bowie, Maryland hosted many events for various horse-riding organizations at their farm, Hurry Up Farm. Mary also participated in the Pony Club with her daughter, Karen, and granddaughter, Gabriella. Mary also took her niece, Margot Wolman, to shows and helped to cement horse riding as a major part of her life. When she stopped riding, Mary remained a pillar of the De La Brooke community for the rest of her life.

On the days and nights where they weren’t at the hunt club, Mary, Ben, and her family could be found cheering on the local Bowie Baysox minor league baseball team. Mary’s love for the Baysox transcended the sport alone. She dedicated many years to helping the players, treating them like her second family. Butch Davis was one of these players. Butch, former Hitting Coach for the Baysox, said, “Mary was like a mom to me, accepting me right into her family.” He went on to say, “she touched peoples’ lives and they never forgot her. She had a warmth about her…nobody was ever a stranger for long after meeting her.”

Combining her love of baseball and service, Mary helped to coordinate numerous events for Walter Reed’s Wounded Warrior program to enjoy an evening at Baysox Stadium. Mary put together over a dozen events for the Wounded Warriors.

When she wasn’t out at the old ballgame or riding horses, Mary’s love of convertible sports cars was nearly unmatched. At almost every point in her life, Mary could be seen driving one of her red convertibles. Over the years, the models and colors changed, though they tended to be red, but Mary’s enjoyment of being behind the wheel never did. Chic cars needed an even more chic driver and Mary stepped up to the plate. She could often be seen wearing the height of fashion alongside Ben. The two made for a beautiful couple and enjoyed hosting many events and parties at their homes over the years. A social butterfly, Mary very rarely had a dull day in her life. Whether it was cooking for fifty or two, Mary served up great dishes for those she loved. Anyone who knew Mary knew her pecan pie, her specialty from the heart of Texas.

While Maryland would become Mary’s home for much of her life, she never forgot Texas. She regularly went to the Houston area to visit her family where her sister, Dot, lived. Afterwards, Mary went to see her old high school classmates and her friends from nursing school.

Mary also spent her warm Texas days with her Texas family, niece Becky Donaho and husband Charlie, and nephew, John “Mikey” Davis and wife Kim. They took regular trips to Las Vegas and Louisiana to pass the time at the penny slot machines. Mary always loved Zion National Park in Utah, visiting often with Becky and Charlie.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the De La Brooke Foxhounds W for the purpose of caring and upkeep for their hound dogs.