Mary Evert

MADISON – Mary Maloney Evert, Wife, Mother, Grandmother and champion of bettering the community for all, was called home by the Lord on April 21, 2025. She was 90 years old.

Mary Margaret Maloney was born on February 19, 1935, in Des Moines, IA to Daniel Maloney and Alice Jane Maloney (Tilton) of Bondurant. Mary grew up on a farm outside of Bondurant as the oldest of five children. She graduated from Our Lady of Angels Academy, Clinton, IA in 1954 and Iowa State University with a BS in Home Economics General Studies in 1957. She was a member of the Beta Kappa chapter of Delta Zeta sorority.

Mary met her loving husband, Ray Franklin Evert, while doing post-graduate work in the Communications Department at Montana State University in Bozeman, MT where Ray was an Assistant Professor of Botany. They were married on January 2, 1960.

Ray and Mary relocated to Madison, Wisconsin when Ray accepted a Professorship at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Through Ray’s work the family lived in South Africa, West Germany, and frequently hosted professors from around the world at their home.

But it was in Madison, while raising her daughter Patricia (Trish) and son Paul, that Mary began sharing her incredible leadership, organizational and creative talents with numerous philanthropic organizations. Mary always said that the advantage of working for no money is that “You choose what you do.” She chose challenges. She chose variety. She chose leadership roles. Anyone who joined the Madison area volunteer circuit in the 1970s, probably saw her face, name, or fruits of her labor.

In media, she spent the decade from 1974 to 1984 serving as a member and president of the WHA Radio Association (now WPR) Board of Directors and as a member and chairwoman of the State Advisory Board to the Educational Communications Board, the state agency that operates Wisconsin’s public radio and television networks. She won kudos for initiating the Young People’s Radio Festival in Wisconsin, a competition that continued for many decades.

For the elderly, she joined the Attic Angel Association Board of Directors in 1982 and served as president from 1984 to 1985. Among other properties and programs, the association owned and operated the Attic Angel Nursing Home and Tower.

What she especially enjoyed about working with Attic Angels was meeting older people. “It has taught me a lot,” including, she said, “not to give up when you really have a lot of problems.”

Through UW-Madison, she was a board member of the University League as well as newsletter editor and chairwoman of long-range planning and policy.

In the community she joined the Madison Civics Club Board of Directors in 1981 and became the chairwoman of the 700-member group.

In 1983 she began serving as an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion (EMHC) at St. Peter Catholic Church. Mary and her husband delivered communion to the homebound for many years.

She became a member of the board of directors of the Olbrich Botanical Society in1987 and became president in 1990. The society is a support group for the Botanical Gardens at 3330 Atwood Avenue. It was during this time that volunteers began helping set up the holiday show for the public, which still takes place today.

In the midst of all this, she reserved time for a gourmet club, the Night Owls dance club and the Mendota Garden Club. She also belonged to two Bridge clubs. More importantly, she participated in all her children’s activities, whether making costumes, baking cookies for bake sales, cheering them on from the stands, or carpooling all over Madison.

In their retirement Ray and Mary would continue to travel around the world with close friends when they were not wintering in Santa Barbara or spending time in Lake Tomahawk. And wherever they went, the two would take walks, long walks. Mary adored her three grandsons and always attended to their needs, making sure there was Chocolate Shoppe ice cream in the freezer whenever they visited.

Mary also continued her philanthropic endeavors through her PEO (Philanthropic Educational Organization) Sisterhood.

In January of this year, she and Ray celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary and in February they celebrated her 90th birthday and Ray’s 94th birthday.

Mary was preceded in death by her parents; brother-in-law, Dick Broderick, sister-in-law Sharon (Morrow) Maloney and niece, Joan (Joanie) Broderick. She is survived by her husband, Ray Franklin Evert; daughter Tricia Welsh and her husband Patrick; son Paul Evert and wife Laura; grandchildren Collin and Dillan Welsh and Thomas Evert; sisters Patricia Broderick, Kathleen (Jack) Hurley; brothers Jim and Phil (Julie) Maloney and numerous loving nieces, nephews and grand nieces and nephews.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at noon Friday, May 16th at St. Peter Catholic Church, 5001 N. Sherman Avenue, Madison, WI 53704. Prior to the Mass, a visitation will be held beginning at 10:00 AM in the Narthex. The Mass will be followed by a Celebration of Life at St. Peter Catholic Church.

To view and sign this guestbook, please visit: www.ryanfuneralservice.com

Ryan Funeral Home & Cremation Service
2418 N. Sherman Ave.
608-249-8257