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AMBERG -- Mary Amberg, a community leader in volunteerism, died of complications from multiple sclerosis on September 7, 2009. She was 78. Mary was born September 6, 1931 to Margaret Helen and Ray M. Amberg at the University of Minnesota Hospital in Minneapolis, Minn. The family lived in St. Paul. She graduated from University of Minnesota High School with 70-plus graduates in 1949. She attended Wells College in Aurora, N.Y., and graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1954 with a bachelor's degree in public nursing. She married classmate H. Mikkel Kelly in February, 1954. The couple moved to Wickford, R.I., where he served as an aviator in the Navy. They returned to Minnesota and then briefly lived in Kansas and Missouri, before they moved to Albuquerque in 1961, when he became a hospital administrator at Bataan Memorial Hospital. The couple raised three children and moved from the Northeast Heights to the North Valley in 1970. While raising her family, Mary continued nursing, administering methadone to heroin addicts in the La Llave program and working at the kidney dialysis unit at St. Vincent's Hospital in Santa Fe. Mary was president of the Albuquerque Junior League in 1972-73. Under her leadership, the league sponsored Story of Albuquerque, a program to encourage citizen participation and leadership; prepared a booklet titled "Handbook to Community Services" for newcomers to the city; and worked to establish permanent kindergarten programs in New Mexico. She worked for the Office of Senior Affairs for 14 years. She was director of the senior volunteer program and supervisor of five programs: RSVP, Foster Grandparents, Senior Companion, the Ombudsman and Intergenerational program. She was director of Highland Senior Center from 1984 until 1990 when she became the first director of the Los Volcanes senior center on the West Mesa. Among her accomplishments, she was noted for installing the first permanent art collection in a state senior center at Highland Senior Center, and she partnered with the Hyatt Hotel to see that 500 meals were provided to seniors on Thanksgiving in 1991. She became president of the Southwest Society on Aging in 1989 at the convention in New Orleans. In addition to her work in regional senior issues, she volunteered to participate in studies to find a cure for multiple sclerosis. Although she was diagnosed with MS at age 52, she continued to work at Los Volcanes with the aid of a walker and overcame two hip surgeries before she retired in 1994. She was honored for her body of work when she was named MS Achievement Award Winner at the Dinner of Champions at the Albuquerque Country Club in 1993. Other community involvement included serving on the boards of the Albuquerque Symphony Association, Kappa Alpha Theta Alumnae Association, Martinez House of Neighborly Service, the Rio Grande Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and the Albuquerque Guild of the Santa Fe Opera. Mary enjoyed swimming, waterskiing, snow skiing and ice skating. She loved to cook, especially making holiday cookies with her mother, grandchildren, and friends. After she retired, she took classes in music appreciation and was a Santa Fe Opera season ticket holder. She enjoyed clubs with lifelong friends that involved sewing, bridge, gardening, Scrabble, and the stock market, and served as vice president of the EOA club. She made numerous trips to visit relatives and explore other countries. She is survived by her brother John Amberg and his wife Poo Wyer of La Jolla, Calif.; son Mikkel Kelly and his wife Suzanne Kelly of Westminster, Colo.; daughter Ann Kelly and her husband John Neas of Denver, Colo.; son Thomas B. Kelly and his wife Maureen Keleher Kelly of Albuquerque, who now live in Johnston, Iowa; and grandchildren Jackson, Paul, Andrew, Joseph, Johanna and Julia, as well as numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins. Mary was deeply admired by everyone for her courageous and caring spirit as she succeeded in leading a truly full life, contributing greatly to the world around her. In spite of the challenges of MS, she maintained a positive attitude and always said, "I want to do as much as I can for as long as I can." She particularly loved social and family gatherings, where she showered everyone with encouragement and good cheer. We love her, and miss her. We were many times blessed to have had Mary in our lives. A Rosary will be 7 p.m. Friday, September 25, 2009 at the chapel at Hotel Albuquerque, 800 Rio Grande Blvd. N.W. A Funeral Mass will be 10 a.m. Saturday, September 26, 2009 at the Aquinas Newman Center, 1815 Las Lomas Road N.E. At her request, her ashes will be taken to Lake Windigo, a sanctuary in northern Minnesota, where she often spent summers with family since childhood. In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions in Mary's name be made to the National MS Society, Rio Grande office at 4125 Carlisle Blvd. N.E. Suite A, Albuquerque, N.M. 87107 or the Santa Fe Opera, P.O. Box 2408, Santa Fe, N.M. 87504.
        Published on: Sun September 13, 2009