FALMOUTH – Mary Dirlam Freedman, 94, of Falmouth, passed away peacefully at her home at Foreside Harbor on Wednesday, July 22, 2020. Mary was born on Oct. 4, 1925, in Worcester, Mass.

She attended Wellesley College (1942-1946), during which time she spent a summer at the Bread Loaf School in Vermont studying literature with Robert Frost.

After completing her master’s at The University of Cincinnati, Mary worked as an editor at Scholastic Magazine until she married Bruce Berlind and raised five children in Hamilton, N.Y. Mary worked as an editor at Boston Magazine until her retirement, and in 1989 she was married to Robert Freedman of Hamilton, with whom she spent the next 17 happy and loving years until his death in 2007.

Mary was known for her prowess at the NYT crossword puzzles (always in black felt-tip pen), her brilliant wit, her literary genius, and her strength and elegance.

Mary is survived by her children, Lise Blumenthal of Boulder, Colo., Anne Berlind of Portland, John Berlind of Burlington, Vt., Paul Berlind of New Durham, N.H. and Sasha Frey of Sudbury, Mass., her stepchildren, Bryn Freedman of Los Angeles, and Ross Freedman of Norwood, N.J.; and brothers, John Dirlam and Peter Dirlam of Southbridge, Mass. Mary is also survived by 14 grandchildren; and one great-grandchild in the oven.

Private services will be held at a later date.