In Memoriam: Mary Chichester Woolverton
Mary Chichester Woolverton, having lived a very full and impactful life, died peacefully in her sleep in Niantic, Connecticut on May 15, 2023. She was born March 20,1937.
For all who knew her, Mary was a unique individual with a particular passion for animals and individuals facing challenges; from amputee war veterans to children with cancer. She was not always easy but she was always doggedly commied. She was unstoppably independent, courageous, daring and strong both physically and mentally determined, resilient and with unlimited energy.
Her essential being is best captured in a paragraph she wrote for a presentation to the Exceptional Family Member Program at Fitzsimons Army Medical Center -
“So what are these footprints, paw prints, hoof prints, wheel tracks, tears, laughter and joy on this path that wound from the city to the country and finally to a hospital where I have successfully joined hands with my profession as a social worker and the animals of my world? We all have our own paths be they in dirt or imprinted on pavement where the footprints are heard and not seen. The footprints on these paths are limited only by one’s insight, perseverance, and imagination. We can make our own contribution on whatever scale we are comfortable in - blessed with the freedom of expression we can bring our own individuality and diversity of background to this. The footprints of my path are varied, but all have influenced me. I progressed from teething on our family Dalmaan, to using a tailless dog to cheer up a young cancer patient in the hospital where I worked. The old saying about the outside of a horse or animal being the best thing for the inside of man could not be truer."
Her accomplishments were legion and many are captured in the attached pages, but to mention a few highlights: As a medical social worker at Fitzsimons Army Medical Center, she worked with returning amputees outfitting them to ride horses at her Colorado ranch and equipping them to ski where she joined them as a member of the ski patrol. She actively demonstrated the comforting power of animals from dogs to goats in the care of young cancer patients.
She had a deep love and lifetime affinity for animals ranging from skunks to zebras, to goats, to tent caterpillars in place of childhood dolls and, of course, her deepest love – horses.
She earned national and international recognition for her work with Morgan horses. For 19 years she was a director of the American Morgan Horse Association. She competed and judged all over the world from the US (where she met Princess Margaret, another dedicated lover of horses) to the UK, New Zealand, Australia, and to Sweden.
Mary was unique with much to be remembered! May she find the rest she deserves with her animals and the many people she lifted through her association.
Obituary provided by family