Passing of Mary Gustafson

[Phil Davis]

MDBirders:

Sad news.

Mary was a long-time key figure at the Bird Banding Lab in Laurel and a former member of the MD/DC Records Committee. Years ago she moved to Texas.

The last time I saw Mary was at the viewing of the Black-backed Oriole in Sinking Spring, Berks County, PA in 2017. She was in from Texas. We ended up being the last two people there that day and had lots of time to talk.

FYI ...

https://www.freelists.org/post/texbirds/Passing-of-Mary-Gustafson,3

https://rip-deathnotice.com/mary-gustafson-texas-obituary-a-wildlife-biologist-and-bird-guide-has-died/#:~:text=Mary%20Gustafson%20Texas%20Obituary%2C%20A%20wildlife%20biologist%20and,%E2%80%93%20We%20announce%20the%20passing%20of%20Mary%20Gustafson .

https://www.topinfoguide.com/death-obituary/mary-gustafson-obituary-news-the-birding-community-mourns-the-passing-of-incredible-birder-mary-gustafson/


Thanks to Dave Bridge for passing this on to me.

Phil

===================================================
Phil Davis, Secretary
MD/DC Records Committee
2549 Vale Court
Davidsonville, Maryland  21035     USA
web: https://mdbirds.org/records-committee/
email: pda...@ix.netcom.com
phone: 301-261-0184
===================================================

[stan arnold]

So sorry to get this news.  Mary was the leader of many of my first pelagic trips out of Lewes, DE, and many of my generation remember her as being a very competent leader.  I think it was with Bill Hubick that I went to her house in Laurel, MD to see a Calliope Hummingbird coming to her feeder.  A few years ago I went to the Rio Grande Valley with my late wife, Elaine, and we ran into Mary, and she was of tremendous help to me in finding several of the birds that I sought.  She was an exceptional birder and trip leader, and made a huge impact on many of us.

Stan Arnold

Glen Burnie

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[Paul Pisano]

I would like to echo Phil and Stan’s comments about how wonderful and helpful Mary was. I led a tour to the lower Rio Grande Valley for Nature Forward this past November, and had reached out to Mary for the latest information. She was quick to hook me up with the local WhatsApp network and provided great insights a week or so before the trip. This was while she was in the hospital shortly before she passed, and for someone whom she knew but had not communicated with in years! I knew she was sick, but had no idea that her condition was that bad. I was very saddened to hear that she passed right after our tour, and wish that I had had the opportunity to thank her for all of her help.

Good birding,

Paul Pisano

Arlington, VA

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/mdbirding/CAHKHVgM2GZpDb2zFVMxM1M%3DpEjzqQCH%3D8uqjhT1iK9ezOSko%3Dg%40mail.gmail.com.