Mary Wallis Gutmann died June 9, 2023, at the age of 88, of metastatic cancer. She was born in Daytona Beach, Fla., and grew up in Freehold, N.J., where, as teenagers, she and her husband, Lud, fell in love forever.
In 1956, she received her BA degree from Pratt Institute (New York City) in industrial design. She was an accomplished writer, artist and designer who held a multitude of positions during her lifetime. In the earlier years of her career, she was the co-founder of the Hastings Enterprise newspaper in Hastings-on-Hudson, N.Y., and wrote articles, designed ads and did photography for several Westchester Co. publications. She did interior design for the Japan Society and assisted in the design of Christmas and Thanksgiving display windows and parade floats for Macy’s in New York City. Mary also designed a popular line of handbags that involved multiple buying and research trips to Taiwan and Japan. She taught art to school children and later was in charge of publications for American Field Service and Marymount College (Tarrytown, N.Y.).
During the past 20 years, she actively participated in her husband’s academic medical career, living in Morgantown and, most recently, Iowa City, Iowa. She worked as coordinator of medical volunteers at Morgantown Health Right and produced its medical newsletter. In more recent years, she participated in the Iowa City Senior Center Poetry and Quilting Groups. Additional lifelong passions included preserving the natural environment, her love of all animals and creatures, textile arts, photography and drawing children’s illustrations.
Mary recently published a delightful childhood memoir, “The Maple Leaf Express,” describing a summer with her grandparents in Canada that features New York City’s famous Penn Station. She was also editor of all her husband’s creative writing books and stories.
She is survived by her husband, Lud; two children, Lee and Paul Whiting; three stepchildren, Laurie and Richard Gutmann and Joan Roberts; five grandchildren; and one great-grandson. She passed away peacefully surrounded by her loving family.
In lieu of flowers, the family recommends a donation to Iowa City Senior Center (icgov.org/residents/senior-center) or The Birdhouse – Hospice Home of Johnson County (thebirdhousejc.org).
