Charles Harris
I just checked Mary's Wikipedia entry and was shocked to discover that she had died just two days ago. I remember Mary from her time at USU and when I first met her in Wellsville she was smoking a corn cob pipe, and lightly kicking a pig out of a shed doorway. I always associated her with Mammy Yokum after that :) Both she and my girlfriend at the time used to ride around with one of the big animal vets in Cache Valley, they were both in the botany department for a time, and both ended up elected fellows of the AAAS. There was something special about that department.
After Mary was selected as an astronaut and reporters were chasing her around campus, she hid out in my office for a bit. I made fun of her "scientist" photo in the newspaper, where she was wearing a white lab coat and holding a flask with what looked like a PH meter in it. We both laughed. She looked like the fox in a fox hunt, but soon left to lead the hounds around some more.
Mary was always kind and concerned with people and animals, a truly wonderful person. I will miss knowing that she is still around. Requiescat in pace.