Today marks a week since one of my very favorite massage clients, Mary Rife, passed away at the age of 90.
Mary was my very first regular massage client after I graduated massage
school in 2010. In the ensuing 8 years, I went to her home every 4-6
weeks to give her massage, and I continued doing so long after opening
my own place.
After every session, she would plop down on her sofa with
a smile and say, “That was great. You knocked me out!”
I’ve been
thinking of how to memorialize her and the amazing life she lived,
and…it’s impossible. Mary was truly larger than life. Here are just
some of the things she accomplished during her amazing lifetime:
- Graduated from Berkley in the middle of WWII
- Moved to Miami from San Diego by herself in the 1950’s
- Opened her own market research firm in the 1960’s (imagine – in the age of “Mad Men”!)
- Traveled around the world
(*One of her many fascinating travel stories
involves staying at a luxury 5-star hotel near the Taj Mahal and coming
down to the pool in her bikini only to be greeted by several buff guys
saying, “There you are, Mary. We’ve been waiting to meet you.” It
turns out her trip coincided with a visit to India by President Nixon
who was staying in the same hotel, so the Secret Service had already
done background checks on all guests…) - Sold her company in 2007, less than a year before the Great Recession
- Enjoyed a fabulous retirement, including multiple trips to Italy and
Mexico, two of her favorite countries (mine too!). She and her partner
had even booked a Caribbean cruise to celebrate the new year - Exercised daily (usually swimming in the Intracoastal Waterway behind her house, or going to the gym and lifting weights)
Mary was lucky to enjoy the finer things in life but she also worked
hard to get them.
She was always smiling, with a quick wit and a
generous heart for both people and animals. In fact, we met after she
won my first-ever massage gift certificate that I donated to a silent
auction for The Cat Network.
Through the years I helped her sterilize
several cats in her neighborhood, and she in turn gave me advice on my
growing company.
Through Mary, I was privileged to meet Wulf Treu, a dynamic modern artist and her partner of 20+ years. I also met their next-door neighbor Ines Doti-Pels, an animal rescue saint who adopted a dog to my friend Gayle Ramsey Marcellini thanks to Mary sharing Ines’ Facebook post. This is just a small sampling of the lives that were bettered thanks to Mary.
About a year ago, as I was leaving her house after a massage, instead
of simply saying “Goodbye!” she said, “Goodbye, I love you!” I was
pleasantly surprised, and responded with the same sentiment.
From then
on, we said that to one another every time. In fact, those were our
last words to one another, and I take comfort in that.
To my
honorary Miami grandmother, Mary Rife: I deeply admire you, respect you,
and love you. When I think of you now, nearly two weeks after your passing,
there is still sadness but also envy (of the good kind). What a life
you lived! And to have passed away in your sleep, in your own bed at
age 90…I hope to be as lucky.
Thank you for your kindness, your
generosity, and your wisdom. You will be missed, and I will toast to
you every time I enjoy a glass of Bogle merlot…or tequila, your two
favorite drinks. 
CHEERS, MARY!
