Statement by Noel “Paul” Stookey 

"as a partner...she could be vexing and vulnerable in the same breath.   as a friend she shared her concerns freely and without reservation.   as an activist,  she was brave, outspoken and inspiring - especially in her defense of the defenseless.   and, as a performer, her charisma was a barely contained nervous energy - occasionally (and then only privately) revealed as stage fright.

sometimes frustratingly dismissive, i seldom heard her say she was sorry, yet she often displayed an immense generosity that would surprise even herself.  witty, politically savvy, she was the master/mistress of the cutting exit line.  once i was attempting to defend ronald reagan's educational policy.  she interrupted me with "oh, for heaven's sake, do your homework!", turned on her heel and walked away.  need i say it turned out she was right?

as the relationships in the trio continued to shift and grow, mary's insights and evolving comfort onstage drew her into the role of societal commentator and satirist; her genius revealed especially poking fun at the tumbling chaotic communications technology expanding around us.

her illness softened her outlook considerably.  her work, her life and friends became more and more precious.  and friends, especially women friends, closed ranks in the later years, returning in kindnesses so much of that which mary, their powerful feminine matriarch, had given them. 

i am deadened and heartsick beyond words to consider a life without mary travers and honored beyond my wildest dreams to have shared her spirit and her career."