Happy birthday Mary! Former teacher celebrates 90th birthday

Jul 26, 2025

A lot happened in 1935. Amelia Earhart became the first person to fly solo from Hawaii to California, Congress had just passed the Social Security act and Mary Nyman was born.

Nyman has lived in Wareham since 1961 where she raised her kids, taught in the high school and volunteered time for the library..

Former students, family and dozens more gathered Saturday, July 26 at Redmen Hall for a surprise party celebrating Nyman’s 90th birthday.

“I was overwhelmed,” Nyman said.

During her 19-year teaching career, Nyman had many students come through her English class including Wareham Free Library Executive Director Patrick Marshall.

“She is somebody that brought out your creative side and certainly cared about her students a lot,” Marshall said. “She had our entire class over at her house one day for a cookout.”

Ever since then, Marshall said he has remained close with the family, even inviting his former teacher to his wedding.

“They’ve just included me as part of their family so it’s been really great to get to know them over the years,” he said.

Nyman also taught English courses at Boston University as well as authored several publications including a textbook, a collection of poems called “The Season’s Edge and other Poems” and a novel about an at-risk teenager who survives through important life choices called “When the Leaves Fall.”

Most recently, Nyman said she began making jewelry much like her biological father who she never met.

“I’m adopted and it turns out my father was a jewelry designer and had been all his life,” she said.