Mary Jane Elizabeth Holland

Born on December 11, 1958, in Worcester, Massachusetts, Mary Jane was the daughter of the late Frederick and Patricia Holland. She was raised in Millbury and grew up in a close-knit family whose bonds remained strong throughout her life.

She is survived by her husband, Kevin Wier, of Austin, Texas. Mary Jane is survived by her siblings Patricia Holland Caprera of Thompson, Connecticut; Deborah Baroni and her husband Stephen of Worcester; Catherine Holland-Smith and her husband Bill of Camano Island, Washington; Frederick M. Holland of Melrose; Anne Holland-Amiot and her husband Joseph of Auburn; and John Holland and his wife Lisa of Clermont, Florida.

Mary Jane held a special place in the hearts of her nieces and nephews: Stephen Jr., Jessica, Jillanne, Justin, Matthew, James, Nora Lee, Luca, and Nico—each of whom brought joy to her life.

Mary Jane graduated from Holy Name CCHS in Worcester and later moved to Austin, Texas. In Austin, she earned her degree and began her lifelong work of helping others.

Mary Jane began her career providing counseling services to women in crisis. Then, she joined a psychiatric hospital in Austin, helping adolescents and supporting their families. The administration noted she had a gift for working with adolescents, and she was promoted to director of adolescent care. Later, she began her private practice serving adults, adolescents and families.

Mary Jane was a counselor, coach and educator, supporting clients on their journey to wellness. It was her calling and she loved it. She was a Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor (LCDC), Internationally Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (ICADC), Certified Life Coach (CLC), and Associate Sex Addiction Therapist (ASAT), having trained with Dr. Patrick Carnes at the International Institute for Trauma and Addiction Professionals. She was a member of the Texas Association of Addiction Professionals (TAAP), the National Association of Addiction Professionals (NAADAC) and the Society for the Advancement of Sexual Health (SASH).

She studied and was trained in cognitive therapy, trauma-informed therapies, grief and loss, meditation practices and energetic healing. Mary Jane had extensive experience with adolescents, young adults, adults and seniors in both inpatient and outpatient programs. She enjoyed working collaboratively with other healthcare practitioners in treating dually diagnosed clients. She co-authored an adolescent relapse treatment program. She owned the Austin Addiction and Wellness Center.

She loved the openness, creativity and soulful spirit she found when she moved to Austin in 1980. She immediately was at home and jumped into the goodness of it all. She loved music always and became a local representative of the national Musicians’ Assistance Program (MAP), offering her professional help to Austin musicians in need.

Mary Jane also poured her heart into helping her neighbors and neighborhood by being a leader in the North Shoal Creek Neighborhood Association. Through her tenacity and leadership, the neighborhood was able to secure a City of Austin neighborhood plan, celebrate Fourth of July and Christmas festivities and plant hundreds of trees in the neighborhood. She secured a neighborhood grant to create a permanent neighborhood identity marker. This became the project she co-led to design, create and install the mosaic art on the neighborhood bridge at Shoal Creek.

Mary Jane was a free spirit. She had the sharpest wit and a boundless sense of humor. Her giggle was infectious. She was a strong, independent woman with many interests, unending curiosity and passion for life. She was generous. She gave freely. She embodied what service to others can be. She loved her family and friends, reading and learning, the outdoors, music, travel and gardening. She had an unusual kindness in her heart and gentle spirit, mixed with the strength to effect positive change in people and in the world.

A memorial service will be held for Mary Jane at 2 p.m. on Saturday, November 22, 2025 at First Presbyterian Church in Austin, Texas.

In lieu of flowers, please share any heartfelt expressions of love for Mary Jane with a memorial gift to the FPCA Good Samaritan Fund that offers support to those in need, including aiding people with addictions. Note Good Samaritan Fund. fpcaustin.org/give