Obituary of Mary Belle Harwich
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On June 12, 2025, Mary Belle Taylor Harwich (née Hay) passed away peacefully at her home, surrounded by her loving family, at the age of 93.
Mary Belle was born on November 27, 1931, in San Diego, California to Ruth Williams and E.H. Taylor Hay. Even though she lived a long and happy life in Chicago, Illinois and Frankfort, Kentucky, Mary Belle always maintained she was a California girl.
Her classmates at Pine Manor College wrote that “she was born with the gift of laughter,” a quality, along with her beauty and brilliance, that never left her.
Mary Belle attended Warrenton Country School in Warrenton, Virginia, and the Harris School in Chicago, where she met her future husband, Murray. Upon graduation from Pine Manor in Massachusetts, she moved back to Chicago, where she and Murray married. After starting their family, she returned to school and received a Master’s Degree in Education from Mundelein College in Chicago. Mary Belle and Murray were married for 63 years until Murray’s death in 2015.
Mary Belle never stopped learning and achieving. She was an accomplished photographer. She was an inventor and held many patents. She was the author of numerous children’s books. Her “Little Friends” series was written both in English and American Sign Language. Fascinated by different cultures, she studied Chinese calligraphy and painting as well as martial arts, including Tai Chi and Zen Sword. She loved the opera and was a keen backgammon player. In her 90’s she was working on an exercise system for the elderly and people with disabilities. Mary Belle always thought of others first and worked hard to improve the world around her.
A member of the Jamestown Society, the National Society of Colonial Dames, the Huguenot Society, the Shelby Society, and the Daughters of the American Revolution, among a myriad of others, Mary Belle had a deep intellectual interest in genealogy and an appreciation of her ancestors’ contributions to the country.
More than anything else, Mary Belle loved her family, immediate and extended. She was happiest at Scotland Farm in Frankfort, getting ready to take a group of children on a nature ramble or pointing out the constellations from the roof of the house. She will be remembered for her beauty, her many talents and accomplishments, her adventurous spirit, and her sense of joy.
Mary Belle is survived by her three children and five grandchildren: Ellen (Stephen) Mautner and Ben and Henry; Murray D. Harwich, Jr. and Murray David Harwich III; and Lynne (Michael) McAlevey and Isabelle and James; her brother, John Williams Hay; and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.
Visitation will be at Rogers Funeral Home from 4:00 to 6:00 pm on Friday, July 11th. A graveside service will be held in the Frankfort Cemetery on Saturday, July 12th at 11:00am.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Capital City Museum, Paul Sawyier Public Library, The Salvation Army, or a charity of your choice.
