ALTAMONT — A prayerful woman who adored her family and looked after those in need, Mary O. Beals died on Friday, Oct. 19, 2018, with her loving family by her side. She was 84.

Born in Albany on April 27, 1934, she was the daughter of Robert  O’Toole, an insurance salesman, and Helen (née Costello) O’Toole, a housewife. She grew up at 111 Grove Ave. in Albany where she had a close group of friends with whom she stayed in touch her whole life.

“She loved music. She played the piano,” her daughter said, describing her mother’s childhood. “She was also an artist. She painted beautifully.” She often painted scenes of nature with flowers and butterflies. “She loved butterflies,” her daughter said.

Mrs. Beals’s proficiency with music and painting lasted a lifetime.

In her studies, she favored English and was a grammar expert, a skill that stood her in good stead for her career as an administrative assistant.

After graduating from Vincentian Institute in 1952, Mrs. Beal worked as an administrative assistant for Judge Daniel Gutman, who served as counsel to Governor Averell Harriman in the 1950s.

“She loved working for him,” said Ms. Bellanger. “She’d boast about how hard they worked, especially with the legislature in session. She just loved the judge. He was very respectful of her.”

She met the man who would become her husband, George Stephen Beals Sr., at a party. “He invited her to a dance. They fell in love,” said Ms. Bellanger. Mr. Beals lived near Clinton Avenue in Albany. “He used to walk miles to see her, to Grove Avenue, because he didn’t have a car.

“He went into the Army. She waited for him to home come. Then they married,” their daughter said.  Their union lasted 58 years, ending only with his death.

“My mom loved my father so much and he, her. They were very big family people,” said Ms. Bellanger. “My brothers played football. My parents would go to all their games, and to the wrestling matches. They came to watch me in horse shows,” said Ms. Bellanger, adding, “She bought me a pony.”

Family was central to Mrs. Beals her whole life long. “She loved spending time with her grandchildren,” said Ms. Bellanger. Religion was also central to her life.

“She prayed about everything,” said her daughter. “She would pray the car would start. She would pray for inspiration. She would pray for her children and grandchildren, whatever their needs were.”

A devout Roman Catholic, Mrs. Beals was a parishioner of Christ the King Church in Guilderland.

“She loved all the saints and had a saint for everyone,” said Ms. Bellanger. “If you were looking for a job, she would pray to Saint Joseph. One of her favorites was Saint Anthony.” Mrs. Beals would pray to Saint Anthony “to find things and for divine intervention,” her daughter said.

Mrs. Beals was a member of the Altamont Seniors, a lector at St. Lucy’s and St. Bernadette’s, and also participated at Altamont Food Pantry. “She wanted to take care of poor people,” said her daughter. “Her mission in life was to help the poor.”

An organized person, Mrs. Beals worked as an administrative assistant with the Albany Public Schools until her retirement.

“She worked in the office of psychological services,” said Ms. Bellanger. “She loved the children. She would help the psychiatrists get the testing done that the state required. She organized the office … She was grammatically correct. The doctors relied on her to correct their spelling and grammar when they made their written reports.”

When Mrs. and Mr. Beals retired to Cape Cod, before she moved back to Altamont, Mrs. Beals volunteered in the food pantry and thrift store through the Holy Trinity Church in Harwich, Massachusetts.

Mrs. Beals did whatever was needed to help the poor. “She did record-keeping. She stocked the shelves. She emptied grocery bags. She washed clothes and hung them on hangers,” said her daughter, stressing, “She was organized.”

During the Bealses’ retirement years, their daughter said, “My mother let my father have control of the TV.” Mr. Beals loved watching sports and Mrs. Beals became an avid fan of the Boston Red Sox and the New England Patriots.

Even when situations were difficult, Mrs. Beals’s daughter said, “She was jovial. She loved to laugh and she would make light of situations that were not always perfect. She laughed at herself. She loved to joke around.”

Mrs. Beals had fun tending her plants, painting, swimming, and playing the piano.

“She got everybody together, singing around the piano,” said her daughter. “Everybody loved her and she loved everybody. She was spiritually blessed, and passed that to her family.”

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She is survived by her children, G. Stephen Beals Jr. and his wife, Lorraine, Christopher D. Beals, Maura H. Bellanger, and Matthew R. Beals and his wife, Kellie; by her grandchildren, Grant Beals, Bridget and Maggie Bellanger, and Michael and Emily Beals.

She is also survived by her brother, Thomas J. O’Toole; her sisters-in-law, Harriet O’Toole, Dottie Beals, and Noreen Cleveland; her brother-in-law, Phillip Beals; and many nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Her parents, Robert and Helen (née Costello) O’Toole, died before her, as did her brother, Dr. Robert V. O’Toole Jr.

Her family gives “special thanks to friends Stephen and Debra Sivack for all their loving care, especially in the later years of Mary’s life.”

Mourners may leave condolences for the family online at www.NewComerAlbany.com.

Relatives and friends may call from 4 to 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 26, at Christ the King Church at 20 Sumter Ave. in Guilderland. The parish family of Christ the King will gather at the church at 4:30 p.m. for a service of prayer and remembrance. All are welcome. The concelebrated memorial Mass of Christian Burial will take place on Saturday, Oct. 27, at 10 a.m. at Christ the King Church.

— Melissa Hale-Spencer