DONOVAN, Mary B.
On April 29, our beloved Mary B. Donovan peacefully passed away at home, after a brief illness. She was 73. Although cut shorter than expected, her life was exceptional.
Mary was born in Los Angeles on May 24, 1950, to Tom and Mary Baggot. Mary was named for her mother, which made calling the Baggot house confusing as when answering the phone, Tom could often be heard asking, Which Mary?" Mary and her younger sister, Teresa, had an idyllic childhood in Sherman Oaks.
When Mary was a teenager, the family moved to Palos Verdes, and she began attending Marymount, an all girls' Catholic school. At Marymount, under the watchful eye of the nuns, Mary excelled at both academics and athletics. She was also very outgoing socially and made incredible friends that she would cherish, keep in touch with, and visit/vacation with, her entire life. Mary "decided" to attend UC Riverside after some considerable advice from her Father.
At UC Riverside, Mary met her future husband, Robert Bauslaugh. They both later transfered to UC Berkeley, where Mary graduated with honors in Art History. After graduating and getting married, Mary started working as an insurance agent for State Farm. In 1978, Mary and Bob welcomed their first child, Ryan. After several years in New Jersey, they moved to Atlanta, where their daughter, Erin, was born in 1981. They settled on Springdale Road in Druid Hills, and Mary continued to work in the insurance business, but her heart wasn't really in it. In 1985, a chance encounter with a real estate agent led Mary to quit the insurance business and get a real estate license. The same year, she settled at Karafotias Realty, where she worked quite successfully for the next 35 years, Indeed, many of you reading this likely bought a home from her or know someone who did.
After divorcing in 1992, Mary took her mother's maiden name, and became Mary Donovan. She moved to a new neighborhood, Sagamore Hills, and, in 2000, Mary met Bill Husted, a journalist for the AJC, and after a brief period of dating and confirming his credit score, they married. After Bill sadly passed away from cancer in 2018, Mary swore off husbands. She moved to a condo in Decatur in 2019, and she turned her focus to her lifelong passion for travel. Particularly, Mary had a deep love for Italy, where she would venture annually. Always a gifted linguist, Mary began taking Italian lessons and became conversationally fluent, defying the idea that learning a language at her age was impossible.
To say that it pains all that knew her that she won't have a final act would be a monumental understatement. Mary was an unbelievably vibrant person. She was whip-smart, kind, loving, funny, and she never met a stranger. She was a world-class home chef, and she was always dressed for the occasion. A gifted conversationalist and debater, the phrase, "you should have been a lawyer,' was often directed to her either as a compliment or a resignation. She was an incredibly dedicated mother, and her children were her pride and joy. She was a dear and loyal friend and colleague, and the news of her illness shocked and saddened so many from all her walks of life. She was inundated by lovely messages from 100's of people in her final days to which her family is eternally grateful.
Mary was preceded in death by her loving grandparents, Edith and Roy Donovan, and Hortense and Gantt Baggot; and her parents, Mary and Tom Baggot. She is also preceded by her 2nd husband, Bill Husted, who was also 73; and her dogs, Blackberry and Lucy.
She is survived by her son, Ryan Bauslaugh; her daughter, Erin McIntyre; her son-in-law, Joseph McIntyre; her sister, Teresa Baggot-Roberts; her brother-in-law, Tim Roberts; her nephews, Mark and Kevin Roberts; her dear friend, Jane Kimball; and her dog, Zoe.
Mary's ashes will be interred at her family plot at the Mission San Luis Rey in California later this year.
Finally, Mary did not want a funeral. However, she did request that her children throw a party in her honor. The celebration will be held at 716 West in Decatur, on June 14, from 5 PM to 9 PM. This is an open invitation. If you would like to attend, please do. We will have food and drinks so come have a laugh, a hug, or a cry while we tell stories and celebrate the life of an incredible woman. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Mary's name to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
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