Mary P. Mehrez

Dr. Mary Psaltopoulos Mehrez of Belmont passed away on December 25, 2022. She was the beloved wife of Dr. Isaac O. Mehrez. She is survived by her children Lisa Mehrez and Bob Mehrez and his wife Leslie, as well as her cherished grandchildren Daphne, Giotty, Jaclyn, Alexia and Maddie. 

Mary emigrated from Egypt in 1956 with her husband Ike. She worked as an anesthesiology resident at the Albany Medical Center for one year before reuniting with Ike in the Boston area. The couple married in 1957 at the chapel of the Beth Israel Hospital. They settled in Belmont in 1964 where she lived for the remainder of her life. 

Mary took great pride in her academic and professional accomplishments. She had a long career in medicine that included over thirty years in the anesthesia department at Beth Israel Hospital, serving as the Director of Obstetrical Anesthesia for twelve years. Mary also obtained a Masters in Public Health from Harvard University, and served as an instructor in anesthesiology at Harvard Medical School. 

Mary was a spirited woman and strove to live life to the fullest. She was constantly on the move. In her retirement, she traveled the world. Together with her husband Ike, she visited every continent. She regaled her family with tales of her travels to places like Australia, Alaska, the Falkland Islands, and so many more. She loved to return to Greece, especially the village of Tsangarada where she had built her dream house and spent time hosting beautiful parties and swimming in the Aegean Sea. She found escape closer to home in Mattapoisett, where she enjoyed running and later walking through the neighborhood, swimming in Buzzards Bay, and made lifelong friendships. Mary and Ike also spent extended periods in Florida, always eager for time with the sun and ocean. 

She was a prolific cook, mastering delicious desserts like baklava and meringue as well as signature savory dishes like seafood rice, her own spin on paella. Mary hosted family gatherings at her home for decades, always welcoming family and fellow immigrants with generosity and warmth, often when they had nowhere else to go. She always prioritized her physical fitness, even well into her 90s. She also treasured annual trips to the Metropolitan Opera. 

Mary spent her final days surrounded by family and friends, at the same hospital where she worked for much of her life, even crossing paths with an old colleague who remembered her fondly. The family would like to thank the hospital caregivers who provided care and comfort in her final days.

A Funeral Service will be held in the Brown & Hickey Funeral Home 36 Trapelo Rd, Belmont, Friday Jan 20th at 11:00 AM. Relatives and friends are kindly invited.

Donations in her memory can be made to the Alzheimer’s Association 309 Waverley Oaks Road Waltham, MA 02452  https://www.alz.org/ or the Metropolitan Opera at https://www.metopera.org/support/make-a-gift/support-extraordinary-opera/.