Longtime Aide To Peabody Mayors Retiring

City of Peabody: Mary Bellavance, aide to three Peabody Mayors and a beloved fixture at City Hall for nearly 35 years is retiring on September 30 th according to Mayor Edward A. Bettencourt, Jr.

Bellavance began working for the City’s Human Resources department in 1985 before being tapped to join the staff of the late Mayor Peter A. Torigian. Bellavance quickly established herself as an indispensable member of the Torigian administration with her friendly demeanor and can-do attitude. Mayor Torigian came to rely on Bellavance not only for her administrative and constituent services skills but also her ability to organize wildly successful community events and programs. By the time former Mayor Michael Bonfanti assumed office in 2001, Bellavance was responsible for the annual organization of city government ceremony, the summer concerts on the Leather City Common, the International Festival, Trick or Treat on Main Street, the annual Christmas tree lighting and Holiday Stroll and the holiday concerts at City Hall, among other programs. In 2012, newly elected Mayor Ted Bettencourt implored Bellavance to continue in her role immediately sensing the tremendous value in all that Mary brought to the table. Mayor Bettencourt continued the popular programs of his predecessors while adding several more to Bellavance’s already considerable portfolio including; the Veterans Day Breakfast, Senior Day at Brooksby Farm, the Senior Appreciation Concert at Higgins Middle School, the Peabody Pride Community Cleanup, the Annual Concert & Fireworks Spectacular and most recently, the Fall for Peabody Bicycle Ride and Food Festival at Crystal Lake. In 2016, Bellavance helped spearhead all the events held to mark the City’s centennial birthday celebration including; the Family Festival at Brooksby Farm, the Stars & Stripes Centennial Concert, the Grand Centennial Parade, the Centennial Birthday Party at City Hall, and the Centennial Grand Ball at the North Shore Mall. Bellavance is a past recipient of the Peter A. Torigian International Festival Award as well as the Mary Upton Ferrin Award from the Peabody Area Chamber of Commerce, named in honor of the 19th century American suffragette and women's rights advocate. “We have so many wonderful community programs and celebrations each year in Peabody and most have Mary Bellavance’ s fingerprints on them,” said Mayor Bettencourt. “She is smart, creative and extraordinarily capable. She is also among the nicest people you will ever meet. I feel so fortunate to have had Mary by my side these past seven years and her everyday presence will be missed by all of us at City Hall. Mary Bellavance is truly one in a million.”