Mary Elizabeth (Heanue) Welch, 88, a longtime resident of Littleton and Acton Massachusetts, died peacefully in her sleep, surrounded by her loving family, on Saturday, August 4, 2018. Mary is predeceased by her husband, Paul X. Welch, a builder and small business owner who developed several properties in Acton, and her sister, Barbara Heanue. She is survived by her children, Paul Welch Jr. and his wife Suzanne Welch of Westford, David Welch and his wife Karen Jean Welch of Ashburnham, Julie Welch-Bucceri and her husband Mark Bucceri of Littleton, Thomas Welch of Dedham, Bethany Bonner of Needham, and grandchildren Caitlin, David, Sarah, Abigail, Xavier, and Nora Welch, Riana Bucceri, great grandson Archer Daley, and many, many nieces and nephews. Mary was born in New York City. Her family soon returned to their native Massachusetts where her father went on to become National Advertising Editor of the Boston Globe. Mary's father cut a dashing figure and they remained close throughout his life. Mary attended Newton College of the Sacred Heart, majoring in English. She enjoyed reading and creating well-written prose throughout her life and worked for Jordan Marsh as a copy editor before marrying and settling in Acton. Mary and her husband Paul both loved Irish terriers. They raised and bred many champions and had a large network of friends who shared their passion for the scrappy, loyal breed. Mary enjoyed writing for and editing the Irish Terrier Club's newsletters and breed guides throughout her adult life. She was a longtime member of the Acton and Littleton Democratic Town Committees. Mary was a parishioner at St. Elizabeth of Hungary Parish in Acton until she moved to Littleton twenty-five years ago, at which time she became a member of St. Anne's Parish. Mary worked alongside her husband to manage their property and small business ventures, but her primary focus was always her family. Widowed at 52, Mary raised Paul, David, Julie, and Thomas with grace and good humor. Both Mary's father and father-in-law lived with Mary long after her children had grown. She cared for both gentlemen at home until their deaths. While Mary had many responsibilities throughout her life, when she had the opportunity she loved to travel. She has enjoyed her visits to England, Wales, Ireland, Italy, and the Philippines, always travelling with or to see family. Mary enjoyed reading and writing poems and stories and met regularly with a writers group for over 25 years. She is credited with helping many writers hone their craft, and especially enjoyed volunteering at the Haverhill Street and Leonard Schools in Lawrence where she helped young writers craft their stories. A devoted reader of the Boston Globe, those close to Mary will miss her attention to the important ideas of the day, her nuanced reading of the Boston Globe's editorial section, and her excellent command of the etymology just about every word a child could ever want defined. Those who have had the privilege of knowing Mary will remember her warm heart, her sense of humor, her talent for cooking and hosting, and her devotion to the idea of a just society. A celebration of Mary's life will be held on Thursday, August 9th at First Church Unitarian, 19 Foster Street, Littleton, MA at 6 pm, followed by visiting hours from 7 to 9 pm. A private burial will be held at St. Joseph's Cemetery, West Roxbury on Saturday, August 11th. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Boston Globe Foundation, c/o Globe Santa, PO Box 491, Medford, MA 02155 or online at globesanta.org. Arrangements are under the care of Dee Funeral Home & Cremation Service of Concord.