Published February 8, 2019
MELROSE — Mary Milne (Beverley) Cail, 92, a longtime resident of Melrose, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, January 30, 2019, at Oosterman’s Rest Home in Melrose.
Mary was born on December 16, 1926 in Dorchester, one of three children of the late John G. Beverley and Barbara H. (Bruce) Beverley. Following a transcontinental voyage, young Mary was baptized into the Christian faith in Aberdeen, Scotland, the birthplace of her parents.
Mary attended public elementary schools in the Greater Boston area prior to her arrival at Medford High School where she excelled in math and enjoyed playing tennis after a brief fling with the violin.
During her school years, Mary worked with her father at his store, Bev’s Variety, in Medford.
Upon her graduation from Medford High, Mary continued her education on Boylston Street in Boston at the Bentley School (now Bentley University in Waltham). At the time, the Bentley School was a fledgling two-year institution where students were taught on a regular basis by the school’s founder, Harry Bentley. Mary was one of the first women to graduate from Bentley in 1947.
During her two years at Bentley, Mary and the school’s founder developed a great friendship due in large part to their mutual love of baseball. Mr. Bentley was known to allow some of his staff members to take the afternoon off from work if the Red Sox or Boston Braves were playing at home. Mary’s first job upon her Bentley graduation was on the staff of the school itself working in the business office. When the opportunity was there, and with the consent of Mr. Bentley, Mary would head to Fenway Park to watch the Sox and her all-time favorite athlete, Ted Williams.
Mary was involved with a number of youth and young adult church groups over the years and through one of them she met the love of her life, Kenneth E. Cail. They were married on March 5, 1950 and were together over 42 years until Ken’s death in June of 1992.
In the early years of their marriage, Ken owned and operated a gas station in Medford where Mary helped keep the books. Mary went on to work at Walker’s Beverage in Stoneham and for many years, served as head bookkeeper at the historic Park Street Church in Boston. For over 50 years, Mary was involved in church work professionally at Park Street and as a volunteer at the First Methodist Church in Medford and the First United Methodist Church in Melrose.
In the early 1970’s, Mary and Ken became involved in professional baseball ownership with close friends Ron and Audrey Duke. The Cails and Dukes operated the Manchester Yankees, an affiliate of the New York Yankees.
Mary loved life and made life fun for those around her. She spent many a spring and a summer’s day or night at major and minor league ballparks across North America in addition to attending many Patriots, Celtics and Bruins games over the years.
She also was instrumental in teaching her son and her nieces and nephews the fine art of wagering on dog races at Seabrook Greyhound Park in New Hampshire. Mary would also enter every contest she could. Her winnings included everything from a garbage disposal and an artificial Christmas tree to trips to Six Flags and the 1963 Major League Baseball All Star Game in Cleveland.
Mary was a member of the AARP Melrose Chapter 1124 and volunteered for the F.I.S.H. (Friendly Independent Sympathetic Help) organization for many years scheduling rides for Melrose senior citizens.
Oftentimes, Mary was joined by her companion, the late Richard “Duke” Kumpel of Wakefield. He was her constant and loving friend and they shared 19 years together going to countless hockey games, rooting for the Red Sox together and enjoying time with family and mutual friends.
Mary is survived by her son, Kenneth of Manchester, N.H.; her brother Bruce and wife Alice of Arlington, her sister Barbara and husband Bruce of Wakefield, as well as her nieces and nephews. Mary was blessed with two granddaughters, Amanda (Cail) Spence and her husband Luke of Melrose and Melissa Cail of Brooklyn, New York. She also had time to enjoy two great-grandchildren, Philip and Lena Spence of Melrose.
Mary is also survived by dear friends Clare Cail and Helene McGovern of Manchester, N.H.; Ronald and Audrey Duke and family of Hanover; Velma Collyer of Arlington; Beth Connors of North Reading; and the amazing staff at Oosterman’s Rest Home in Melrose.
Relatives and friends gathered in honor and remembrance of Mary’s life during visiting hours at the Robinson Funeral Home, 809 Main St., Melrose, on Tuesday, Feb. 5, followed by her funeral service. For directions, online tribute or to share a memory, visit RobinsonFuneralHome.com.
