Mary Ross

Mary Anne (Kearney) Ross, a woman full of life, kindness, and generosity, passed away unexpectedly on October 23, 2026, at the age of 75, with her family by her side.

Mary was born and raised in Brockton and was a 1968 graduate of Brockton High School. Never one to follow a traditional path, she attended Vesper George School of Art and spent much of her early adulthood making art, including singing in a rock band called Loose Change. After taking a 13-year break from working to stay home with her children, she followed a different calling and went back to school to become a substance abuse counselor. Mary lived to help others, and she was immensely proud of the more than 20 years she spent working in the field, especially her time at the North Cottage Program. She met every person where they were, with unshakeable kindness and patience and without judgment, and she never stopped believing in their ability to recover.

Mary was a force of nature who never outgrew her love of a good time. Endlessly silly and never one to take herself too seriously, she loved to catch someone’s eye across the room and share a conspiratorial laugh, and she was happiest at a gathering with good food and good company. Her heart was enormous, and she was always in the corner of the underdog. Mary never met a stranger: a trip to the store could turn into a deep conversation with the cashier, and she made everyone who was around her feel special, because to her, they were. She kept her people close, from lifelong friends to her former husband, John, the father of her children, with whom she shared 28 years of marriage and a lasting friendship.

She was predeceased by her beloved parents, Marie (Bergeron) and Walter Kearney; her brother, Joseph Kearney; and her birth parents, Lorraine (Buckley) and Howard Perkins, whom she never had the chance to meet.

Mary is survived by her son, Jonathan Ross, daughter-in-law, Joann, and beloved grandson, Logan; her daughter, Heather Ross, and son-in-law, Matthew Freake; the biological brothers she was blessed to find later in life, Howard Perkins Jr., Louis Perkins and his wife Marilyn, and Robert Perkins and his husband Robert Murray; many nieces, nephews, grand-nieces, and grand-nephews; and countless friends from every chapter of her life, whom she loved like family and who will carry her laughter with them. Mary will be deeply missed by all who knew her.

Mary’s family invites you to celebrate her life on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, at 10 AM at Conley Funeral Home at 138 Belmont Street (Rte 123) in Brockton, followed by her burial at Coweeset Cemetery in Brockton. Come ready to laugh and swap stories, because she would have wanted nothing less.