Mary Lynn Boland

Mary Lynn Boland, 65, a devoted wife and mother of three sons, registered nurse and community volunteer, passed away of pancreatic cancer on September 12 surrounded by family at home in Falls Church, Virginia. She was born on February 23, 1953 in Cleveland, Ohio to her mother, Maria De La Paz Herbkersman (née Magaña), and her father, James Leonard Herbkersman. Her father’s family had lived in the Cleveland area for generations and was of German and Polish descent. Mary’s mother moved from Mexico with her mother and sister to join her father who had previously moved to Cleveland as part of the bracero program. Mary was the first of four children, and enjoyed looking after her younger brothers Richard, John and Mark. She grew up in Maple Heights, Ohio with her family and attended Catholic school for her entire childhood. She pursued and received her LPN certificate, and later her RN certificate from Kent State University at Ashtabula. She then returned to Cleveland where she worked at the Cleveland Clinic in the medical surgical unit department and was certified as an E.T. (enterostomal therapist). She met her husband, Dr. Brian J. Boland, at Cleveland Clinic while he was in residency. They were married in February 1978 at Holy Rosary Church in Little Italy, Cleveland, and moved to Philadelphia, where they lived for three years. In 1981, the couple returned to Brian’s hometown in Northern Virginia. Mary helped Brian open his practice in Arlington, Virginia while also pursuing her bachelor’s degree in communications at George Mason University. On a trip to Greece to celebrate her graduation in 1984, Mary and Brian discovered they were pregnant with their first son, Patrick. She became a homemaker in 1985 when Pat was born, and continued to devote her life to her three children (Joseph was born in 1987 and Matthew in 1989) until they all attended Bishop O’Connell High School and the University of Virginia. In addition to being a doting mother and wife, Mary volunteered at her sons’ schools, at St. James Catholic Church and in the greater Falls Church community. Mary returned to her career as an RN in 2003 until 2012, when her mother Maria had a stroke. Mary became her primary caretaker at home, where Maria lived until her death in 2013. Over the last few years, she supported those in need in the Falls Church community by volunteering at the Culmore Clinic. She was known to many in the community as “Ma” Boland for her warm, maternal nature and constant care of her family and friends. She was an avid cook, always making sure everyone was well fed and doling out delicious, homemade banana bread to neighbors and friends. Those in need or without their own community were quickly taken under her wing, as she was continuously looking out for others. Mary took wonderful care of her husband and sons, participating in their lives whenever possible and welcoming their friends and partners into her home. She was overjoyed to celebrate her son Pat’s marriage to Monica Liau on April 28, 2018 and couldn’t wait for her family to expand to a new generation. She was a natural caretaker, a woman of great faith, and a truly selfless mother, wife and friend. She is survived by her husband Brian and her children Pat (Monica), Joe and Matt. She is also survived by her brothers Richard (Kathy), John (Nancy) and Mark (Martha) Herbkersman as well as her sister-in-law Mary Ann Browne (James), brother-in-law Raymond (Soley) and 11 nieces and nephews. Visitation will be held at Murphy Funeral Home at 1102 West Broad Street in Falls Church, Virginia on Monday, September 17 from 5-9 p.m. A funeral mass will be held at St. James Catholic Church at 905 Park Avenue in Falls Church, Virginia on September 18 at 10 a.m. The internment will follow at Fairfax Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Arlington Free Clinic (www.arlingtonfreeclinic.org) or Culmore Clinic (www.culmoreclinic.org).