Mary (Blanchard) McGrath

SCARBOROUGH – It is with much sadness that the family of Mary McGrath announces her passing on May 30, 2024, after a brief illness.

Mary was born Aug. 27, 1923, in Worcester, Mass. to Philip J. Blanchard and Mary Sullivan. Growing up in Worcester, Mass., Mary was the first born and only daughter, to be followed by three brothers, Phillip, Edward and Daniel.

After graduating from St. Peter’s High School in 1941, Mary joined the Navy as a WAVE. She trained in Ames, Iowa, and was stationed in Boston, Mass., as a yeoman during WWII. She met her husband John McGrath, who was also in the Navy during that time. They married in the fall of 1946 and moved to Portland when John purchased Webber Travel Service. The family grew with the arrival of their four children. Mary managed the home and helped in the travel agency when needed. They purchased a summer home on the West End of Long Island in Casco Bay around 1957.

Sadly, John died suddenly in 1964 and Mary found herself a widow with four children. There were few social services in those days and limited roles for women. Our mother was not so much “liberated” in the ‘60s as she was determined to provide for her family by continuing to own and run Webber Travel, then located in the Lafayette Hotel. And so, she did, initially with the generous and kind mentoring and support of other business owners and civic organizations.

Her job was travelling the world, experiencing locales, hotels, restaurants, tours, airlines – creating a network and knowledgeably selling travel to her clients. When China opened to tourists in the early 1970s, she was invited to join the first group allowed to enter; she was among the early groups to visit Moscow; she rode camels in the shadows of the pyramids of the Egyptian desert, overnighted in the ancient Jordanian city of Petra, coming out on horseback; and went on African safaris well before “glamping” was a concept. She was also among a group of travel agents to get a tour of the new Boeing 747 Jumbo Jet in 1970; as well as flying from New York to Paris on the Concorde SST in 1977. Despite all the world travel, she would tell you that Long Island was among the most beautiful of places to return.

After retiring in 1991, she gardened, bowled, played bridge, joined an investment club, enjoyed local and regional theater and musicals, spent time with her much-loved grandchildren and still traveled with the many friends she’d made in her travel business days. She was an excellent cook, an even better maker of pies, a gracious host, loyal friend and good listener. An avid reader, she always had a book going and another to look forward to. She embraced technology as it grew and changed, learning computers and balancing her online library choices and Kindle selections. She was the fountain of knowledge on family history, personalities and experiences – both her own family and her husband’s. Her constant love and presence in our lives will be dearly missed. She kept our family together and strong when dealt one of life’s most difficult challenges, relying on her strong values and faith.

In 2015 she was one of the 28 veterans on a Maine Honor Flight to Washington, D.C. and the only woman in that group. The veterans received a rousing welcome on Baltimore’s airport concourse as they came into view. Groups of current military and civilians – men and women and children – who had assembled to greet the flight thanked all the veterans as they passed through to the waiting bus to visit their WWII Memorial. Many young service women bent to thank her for her service and paving the road for future generations of women in the service. It was an emotional and memorable trip.

Mary is survived by her children, Jack (Sharon) McGrath, Ellen McGrath, Anne (John) Sabach and Sherry (Sharon) Smith, her son Paul’s dear friend; grandchildren Brian (Suzanne) McGrath, Sean (Kim) McGrath, Daniel (Isai) McGrath and Catherine (John) Chamberlain; seven great-grandchildren; and dear friend, Martin Bunker. She also leaves a sister-in-law, Mary B. Blanchard, and many loving nieces and nephews.

She was predeceased by husband, John J. McGrath; and son, Paul T. McGrath.

Mary generously donated her body to New England College of Medicine. She requested no calling hours, only a mass, the date and location of which will be announced later this summer.

The family would like to thank the staff at The Enclave of Scarborough for their generous kindnesses, love and friendships with Mom. We also thank the Compassus hospice staff for their loving care of Mom and the family during her last months. There are not enough words to express how helpful, loving and caring they are.

If desired, memorial donations may be made to

Good Shepard Foodbank,

3121 Hotel Rd.,

Auburn ME 04210-8398;

Long Island

Community Library,

7 Gorham Ave.,

Long Island ME 04050; or

Honor Flight of Maine,

P.O. Box 699,

Brunswick ME 04011-0699