Mary Catherine (Miller) Boyum, known to many longtime Rochesterites as "Mary Bea," Rochester's first female on-air TV personality, passed away peacefully on December 18, 2018, with her daughter and caregiver by her side. She was 93 years old.

Mary was born September 27, 1925 in Rochester, MN to Katherine and John McGannon Miller, and attended St. John's Elementary School before her family enrolled her in the Villa Maria Academy in Frontenac, MN to finish her education away from her three rough-and-tumble older brothers.

Years before a fictional Mary Richards showed the world what a spunky young woman could contribute to a Minnesota television station, Mary Miller — armed with her academy high school diploma and a radio engineering license from the American Institute of Air in Minneapolis — started her career at KROC radio behind the scenes, and eventually made it on-air. In 1953 when KROC-TV (now KTTC) became the first television station to launch in Southern Minnesota, Mary was among the first radio broadcasters to make the transition to TV. In a KROC career that lasted 25 years, Mary expanded her program "Memos from Mary Bea" from a short segment for women between game shows and soap operas to a widely watched community interest program during which she covered anything and anybody she found fascinating in the rapidly growing city of Rochester.

Mary's can-do spirit propelled her into additional careers after leaving television: 18 years as the Functions Supervisor at the Kahler Hotel, followed by an 11-year, part-time retirement job at the Red Lobster restaurant.

Mary forged many close friendships through work. Some friends were lucky enough to join Mary and her family at their dinner table to share Mary's famous marinated hickory steak and hash browns. Others shared Mary's passions for bingo and sports, and her deep love for fishing the streams and lakes of Minnesota. Along with fishing, Mary loved dancing and listening to Big Band music. Her appreciation for music continued throughout her life into her later years and brought her comfort and solace on weekend drives to Red Wing with her daughter Libby.

Mary is survived by her daughter, Libby (Ed) Martens; son, John Boyum of Grand Junction, CO, and grandson, Thomas Hadley of Brooklyn, N.Y. She is also survived by step-children from her marriage to Gerald Boyum (ex-husband), Sally Boyum of Rochester, Gerald (Wanda) Boyum of Faribault, and Nancy (Mike) Kenow of Henderson, NV; along with many step-grandchildren, step-great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.

Mary is preceded in death by her parents, Katherine and John; her brothers, Bob, Bill, and John Miller; and her step-daughter, Carol Teigen.

Memorials are preferred to Season's Hospice or Church of the Resurrection.

The memorial Mass will be at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, December 22nd at Church of the Resurrection, 1600 11th Ave SE, Rochester, MN 55904, with Rev. Shawn Haremza officiating. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the church at 10:00 a.m. Interment will be at Calvary Cemetery in Rochester, MN.