Former Mercer Island Reporter editor Mary Lizabeth Grady, who drew love, strength and the desire to serve others from her family, died on Aug. 9 after a brief stay at the Island Crest Adult Family Home on Mercer Island.
She passed away peacefully following complications from a series of strokes at the age of 68 while surrounded by her family members.
In addition to leading the local Reporter from 2006 to 2015, she took the reins as regional editor for the Mercer Island Reporter, Bellevue Reporter and Issaquah Reporter for two years. During her time with the Reporters, she led the three publications in notching numerous General Excellence awards from the Washington State Newspaper Publishers Association and the Society of Professional Journalists for science reporting.
“She was so proud and deeply loved her work with these papers more than any other professional associations she had,” said her husband, Kevin.
Following her years with the Reporters — where she began as an MI staff writer/education reporter in 2002 — Grady, who was born and raised in Pullman, remained on the Island with her family and served on the Mercer Island Chamber of Commerce board of directors and the Mercer Island Utilities Board.
Prior to launching her reporting career after receiving a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Washington in 2001, Mary Grady worked and contracted in the load research and economic forecast realms for Puget Sound Energy and with the Seattle branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco in the 1980s and 1990s. In those jobs, Kevin said that Mary enjoyed fleshing out economic data and writing the forecasts so that the information was easier for people to grasp.
Mary first received a creative writing certificate at UW before moving into the journalism sphere. The enthusiastic scribe took pride in her job with the Reporters and was a workaholic, Kevin said.
“She was most happy when reporting on an issue, when afterwards both sides of the issue might come back and complain that she was for the other side. In essence, she felt like she had reported everyone’s position to the best that she possibly could,” said Kevin, who lived on the Island with Mary for 20 years.
When reporting on MI education, Mary was so impressed with the quality of the school district that she moved the family here so that their daughters, Maria and Kelly, could attend the area’s schools.
Kevin said that Mary stood just five feet tall and people often commented on her size.
“I was always fond of saying that whenever she would engage with anyone taller than her, within the next couple of minutes they were seeing eye to eye. Because she was a strong-willed, extremely bright and articulate person,” he added.
She forever loved the wheat-bedecked rolling hills and the Cougars of her Pullman upbringing, and “characteristically she was straightforward and direct — all with her wry wit and sonorous laugh,” according to her obituary. She kept tight bonds with her childhood friends in Pullman and the couple’s travel docket included trips to Eastern Washington and Southern British Columbia. Mary could often be found walking and jogging around Mercer Island.
When it came to her diligence on the job front, Kevin said that one of Mary’s mottoes was, “The job begun is half done.”
“I met Mary when I hired her to join the staff of the Mercer Island Reporter as a writer and education reporter. Mary was an excellent writer and an insightful, accurate and objective reporter. But beyond her journalistic skills, she was a warm human being who lit up the newsroom with her smile and keen sense of humor. We were co-workers who became friends. I will miss her,” said Jane Myer Braun.
A celebration of Mary’s life will take place at a Catholic funeral at 11 a.m. Sept. 9 at St. Bridget Church, 4900 NE 50th St., Seattle.
