Mary A. McEvoy, a former faculty member of Peabody College’s Department of Special Education and the Kennedy Center, was traveling with Sen. Paul Wellstone (D-Minn.), his family and staff when their planed crashed in Minnesota Oct. 25, killing all onboard.

Most recently, McEvoy was a professor of early childhood special education in the University of Minnesota’s Department of Educational Psychology, which she chaired. McEvoy completed her Ph.D. in child and family studies at the University of Tennessee in 1984 before joining Vanderbilt.

“Mary was an extraordinary person who was devoted to improving the lives of young children,” said Joseph Wehby, assistant professor of education. “She loved Peabody College, the Kennedy Center and Nashville, and she made tremendous contributions during her time here.”

While at the Kennedy Center, McEvoy’s work focused on the social integration of children with disabilities in inclusive classroom settings. She was a co-investigator of a project on education in the least restrictive environment, and was principal investigator on a project for the social integration of children with autism and a grant for training teachers of children with autism. During her years here, she was active in numerous community and state agencies, including planning committees of the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation, and she received awards for her advocacy of children and adults with disabilities. She was a member of the Executive Board of the Division for Early Childhood, Council for Exceptional Children, and the Professional Advisory Board of the Autism Society of America. Mary joined the University of Minnesota faculty in 1990. Services will be held Oct. 29, at St. Luke’s Catholic Church in St. Paul, Minnesota. A memorial service is being held at the University of Minnesota for the crash victims later that evening.

A foundation has been set up for the education of Mary’s children. Donations may be sent to: Cloyd/McEvoy Education Fund, St. Anthony Park State Bank, 2265 Como Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55108.

— Jan Rosemergy

Posted 10/28/02 at 10 a.m.