Mary B Downing

American pro astrologer, serving several stints as NCGR's executive director, and director of publicity for the first three United Astrology Conferences. A steering committee member of AFAN, she seemed for several years to be at the center of political debate. Mary's astrological interest began in college and she learned Cosmobiology when she lived in Germany. Mary was the daughter of an engineer in civil service (1902-1996) and a homemaker and former bookkeeper (1900-1992). She had one younger brother, in marketing (b. 1945). Growing up in a German-language enclave, she spent winters in the city and summers on the farm with a normal childhood. She was very close to her independent-thinking grandmother and in comparison to later practice, was much more independent and unsupervised than would be considered proper today. At the same time, she had greater responsibilities. The family moved to Washington DC area (Alexandria VA) in 1952. In June 1954, Mary worked after school for the local daily newspaper where she learned a tremendous amount, and because it was a small daily, was tapped to do jobs which she'd not ordinarily have the chance to learn. They were instrumental in helping her get a scholarship to Corcoran, and the combination of the two themes made it possible for her to work, support herself and attend college. She combined illustration, graphic design and editing-writing since that time. After Corcoran Art school, Mary attended the Catholic University of America, Washington DC (BA Speech & Drama with a heavy philosophy minor). In 1960, she worked in Europe where she met her future husband (also born in Missouri, ironically: - Scorpio, Sag. Moon, Pisces Asc.). They married in March 1962 and were together until her death. They had one son, born May 1963. When they returned to the U.S. in 1964, the family acquired a live-in mother-in-law (1901-1984). with whom Mary was not particularly congenial. From 1964-67, they lived on Long Island where Mary's husband was a teaching fellow at Brooklyn Polytech. They moved to Stamford, CT, and in 1992 moved to southern Maryland when her husband and son started Allware, a computer firm.Contact Log Mary's son Jack Jr and his wife Mary gave her a granddaughter, Isabel Downing, 2/02/2001, 16:15, Annapolis, MD. In February 2005, it was announced that she had been suffering from bladder cancer for the prior two years. She hadn't wanted her husband to tell anyone outside the family. She died on March 9, 2005 at 10:40 PM at a Maryland hospital near her home.