She's dancing on the clouds now.

It's a tribute to Mary Beth Doyle that several communities are claiming her as their own, including the environmental, public health, and Ann Arbor arts and music communities. Mary Beth, who died in an auto accident on November 13, was not only one of the powerhouse activists at Ann Arbor's Ecology Center. With her hearty laugh, quick wit, huge heart and computer-like brain, she was one of those people you just want to be around as much as you can.

Mary Beth-or MB, as those privileged to be her friends called her-was passionate about everything she did, and she did a lot. Kayaking. Rowing. Weightlifting. Shopping for second-hand steals. Knitting. Socializing with friends both old and new. Scaring Ann Arbor residents on Halloween. Cross-country skiing. Cribbage. Gardening. Dancing, of course. And we can't forget her impressive professional career. Highlights include:

MB worked ceaselessly to protect people of all ages from environmental threats, racking up achievements and inspiring others in the process. It's amazing but not surprising how much she achieved in the time she was given. MEC staffer Dave Dempsey wrote this about his longtime friend and colleague:

"Mary Beth's empathy was always with the individual citizen, or small group of citizens, fighting against the odds to stop environmental health damage or promote an environmentally-sound alternative. She was unfaltering in her conviction that the individual can make a difference, and was the most ethical advocate I've ever known. I'll always remember her."

At her memorial service at Ann Arbor's First Unitarian Universalist Church on November 17, MB was celebrated, not mourned, by the standing-room-only crowd of several hundred people. There was music. There was laughter as well as tears. There were wonderful anecdotes and reminiscences. There was a touching slide show. And before the service started, there was even dancing in the aisles. MB would have loved that.

MB's friends have created a Memorial Fund in her honor to continue her important work. Contributions can be sent to: The Ecology Center, c/o the Mary Beth Doyle Memorial Fund, 117 N. Division, Ann Arbor, MI 48104.

In Tribute to Mary Beth Doyle

Whereas, Mary Beth Doyle was a gift to Michigan's environment and its environmental community.

Whereas, in her years of advocacy, Mary Beth blazed a trail of remarkable achievement with determination, good humor, wise insight and persistence. Her passing on November 13, 2004 is a cause of great sorrow not only to those who worked with her and knew her as a friend, but also to all of the people of Michigan, on whose behalf she worked for a better future.

Whereas, Mary Beth was instrumental in a number of successful campaigns to improve environmental health protection in Michigan. A partial list includes her work to shut down toxic medical waste incinerators; to assist citizens fighting a hazardous waste deep-well injection facility; to demand that the state Department of Community Health offer protective health advice on consumption of fish and contaminants to women of child-bearing age and their children; to insist that state officials address the problem of out-of-state waste entering Michigan's landfills; to enlist pediatricians and other health professionals in efforts to educate their peers and provide an additional voice for reduction of toxic substances in the environment; to secure support for environmental justice policies in Michigan; to dissuade a manufacturer from using toxic polyvinyl chloride in babies' chew toys; to advocate on behalf of a ban on mercury thermometers; and to protect Ann Arbor's natural areas.

Whereas, Mary Beth was instrumental in the growth and success of the Michigan Environmental Council. Her service included efforts to ensure the organization reflected the priorities of people at the grassroots, in communities across the state. She offered principled, patient and original advice and guidance as a member of the organization's board of directors and Policy and Strategy Committee, and played an important role in the creation of the Environmental Communications and Community Organizing (ECCO) project, a collaborative effort on the part of several MEC member organizations to increase media coverage of and policymaker attention to environmental and conservation issues.

Whereas, whether as a colleague, mentor, example or friend, Mary Beth was an inspiration who truly enriched Michigan's quality of life. She was kind, tolerant, trustworthy, witty, intelligent, sensitive, versatile, lively, artistic and passionate, and can never be replaced.

Therefore, in recognition of Mary Beth's dynamism and her extraordinary contributions to the welfare of the environment and the people of Michigan and future generations, in gratitude for her contributions to the Michigan Environmental Council, and in condolence to her colleagues at the Ecology Center, her friends and her family on their profound loss, the member organizations, Board of Directors and staff of the Michigan Environmental Council offer this resolution of tribute to Mary Beth Doyle.We will miss her always and she will never be forgotten.

Subscribed and sworn before me on this third day of December in the year 2004 at Bath, Michigan.

-Christopher Graham, Chair, MEC Board of Directors