Anyone who knew her will be shocked to hear that Mary Goode passed away suddenly last week. From what we can tell, her heart simply gave out on her at home. It was an amazing heart, and many of us loved her very, very much. She was 68, had her health issues, but none of us ever would have thought she’d go just like that.

Mary was one of the first people poking into the bookshop back in its earliest days, intrigued by the jazz implications of the “Bird” in Bird & Beckett, and told me endless stories of her recently deceased husband, John Markham — a drummer who had traveled widely, played behind Sinatra, Peggy Lee and many others, etc. She introduced me to a number of John’s close friends and associates, jazz musicians who populate the Bird & Beckett Friday scene to this day.

Of course, I see her through that jazz perspective, but her career as a nurse (lately on the job at the Symphony and Opera, taking care of culture mavens overcome by the emotion of the music, no doubt) made her well known to countless folks who mourn her passing as well.

She was extraordinarily kind, adored kids and anyone a little vulnerable to society’s rigors, and was really quite hilarious. Hardly any of us could figure out what she was talking about half the time, but that never stopped Mary!  She was a core member of the Bird & Beckett “family,’ and we miss her more than words can express.

A viewing and mass will take place in East Palo Alto on October 8th and 9th, and a celebration of her life will happen on October 28th here in San Francisco at St. Finn Barr on Edna Street, close by Glen Park, from 1 to 4 pm. Expect a lot of jazz musicians to show up for that one, instruments in hand. Call us for details.