Mary Lou Boris

Born 20 November 1946, Mary Lou Boris (age 79), of Clarksville, MD, passed away in her home on Sunday evening, 26 April 2026. She moved on to that undiscovered country, from whose bourn no traveler returns, surrounded by the loving voices of family and friends.

Mary Lou devoted more than 40 years of her life (from 1969 until her retirement in 2012) to teaching children as an Art Department Chair and Master Teacher, developing state and county art curriculum and working with underprivileged children in Maryland, Ohio and D.C. As a teacher, she also founded and sponsored several student chess clubs, taking great pride in seeing “her kids” grow and excel not only in chess but in their confidence and sense of self worth. She was especially proud that early in her career as an artist, she worked at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab as part of the final design team for NASA’s moon landing modules. Never one to sit still or to take life’s challenges lying down, Mary Lou – either out of necessity or an industrious desire to contribute – often worked multiple jobs at a time, including operating her own real estate appraisal company for more than 15 years.

Her love for art transcended her professional responsibilities; she remained active as an independent artist and tutor until hospitalization for surgery in the summer of 2024. Mary Lou’s home is decorated with a collection of sculptures and projects that she crafted over the years. She also had the greenest of thumbs and was passionate about gardening, which she found to be an anchor to life and a rejuvenating source of joy. She had been active in the extensive charitable and fraternal work of the MD-DE-DC Chapter of Moose International, originally as part of the Odenton Lodge and now primarily through the Annapolis Lodge and was recognized as a member of its College of Regents, the highest order of the organization. Among her other joys and successes, Mary Lou was a six-time national champion in the U.S. Lawnmower Racing Association, for which she had been interviewed by Good Morning America, Fox 5 and several local TV stations, magazines and newspapers.

Mary Lou was the middle of three children, born into an Army family as it traveled through Salt Lake City, UT, enroute to Germany. While calling Clarksville, MD, her home, she lived, at various times, in Germany, Massachusetts, Maryland and Japan, and took great glee in sharing stories of her adventures in the world. Even as a child, her stubborn, independent spirit afforded her no lack of escapades – something for which her family was deeply grateful over the years as she brought everyone around her to laughter.

Mary Lou graduated from Glenelg High School in Howard County, MD. A lifelong advocate for ongoing education and development, she earned her BS and MS degrees at the University of Maryland and continued her graduate studies at The Ohio State University.

Her caring and empathetic nature knew no bounds, often seeing her jokingly compared to "Snow White" for the way that domesticated and wild animals alike would come to her in trust. More than anything though, she loved her family with a boundless intensity that could be both intimidating and deeply comforting, and that cloaked those in her heart in the confidence of her adoration.

Mary Lou was a loving and devoted wife, mother, grandmother, aunt and sister. She is survived by her dear husband, Michael Boris, Jr.; her children and stepchildren, Joshua Knapp, Michael Brosenne and Michael Boris, III; her daughters-in-law, Alycen Ashburn and Vicki Boris; her younger brother, Robert Koudelka; and her grandchildren, Elke Knapp, Dimitri Boris, Danni Boris and Brendan Boris. She leaves behind numerous nieces, nephews, grandnieces, grandnephews, in-laws and extended relatives from the Koudelka and Boris families. Mary Lou will be remembered and missed by many more. Her legacy is one of cultivating love and family wherever she went and leaves a lasting impact far larger than she likely realized.

Mary Lou was preceded in death by her parents, Margery Anne Koudelka and Harold Anthony Koudelka, Sr., and by her older brother, Harold Anthony Koudelka, Jr.

A Funeral Mass will be held on Friday, 8 May 2026 at 11:30am in the stone Chapel of St. Louis Catholic Church, 12500 Clarksville Pike, Clarksville, MD 21029. An off-site repast reception will follow at the Hawthorne Center, 6175 Sunny Spring, Columbia, MD 21044, from 12:45pm to 3:45pm. 

A Celebration of Life service will be held on Saturday, 27 June at 1:00pm at the Annapolis Moose Lodge, 1890 Crownsville Road, Annapolis, Maryland 21401.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in Mary Lou’s memory may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or Mooseheart Child City & School.