08/24/2026
As published in the Daily News, on Monday, August 24th, 2026.
We are going to miss Mary Ann so very much. The photo could very well be Mary Ann's last concert singing with NCS.
In Loving Memory of Dr. Mary Ann Lachat August 18, 1940 – August 11, 2026
Dr. Mary Ann Lachat of Exeter, NH passed away peacefully, surrounded by love, on August 11, 2026, after a long battle with cancer. She was 85.
Born in Winsted, Connecticut, Mary Ann graduated summa cm laude from the University of Connecticut with a degree in Music, later earning a Master's in Music History and a Doctorate of Education from Columbia University, where she was active in early civil rights efforts. She began her career as a choral director in the Tarrytown, NY and Darien, CT school districts, then went on to co-found and lead the Center for Resource Management, Inc., spending more than 30 years directing national projects and research focused on equity and achievement for students with disabilities. Her work helped shape special education policy in New Hampshire and across the country, and she was recognized by the Education Alliance at Brown University for her national efforts promoting diversity and equity in schools.
Music remained a lifelong love. Mary Ann sang with New York's Dessoff Choir and NY Choral Society before joining the Newburyport Choral Society in 1987, where she sang for almost 40 years and served as Board President and Development Director, among other roles.
Beyond her professional accomplishments, Mary Ann had a great zest for life and a deep appreciation for people and simple joys. She was compassionate, wise, and generous — always ready to offer a friend comfort, perspective, or a little humor. She loved bringing people together, filling her home with laughter, conversation, music, and good food, with many evenings spent gathered around her baby grand piano listening to her sing and play. She also cherished quieter pleasures: her beloved cats, the beauty of nature, and the birds who visited the "Bird Café" on the deck overlooking the woods behind her home.
She is survived by her spouse, Terri Talas; sisters-in-law Susan Lachat and Toni Talas; nephew John Lachat, his wife Denise, and their children Amy, Jennifer, and Riley; and several grand-nieces and grand-nephews. She was predeceased by her parents, Paul and Freida Lachat, and her brother, Raymond Lachat.
Mary Ann will be deeply missed by her spouse, Terri, her close friends Martha (Marty) Williams, Jean Soucy, Sandy Brenan, and Stephanie Roy, and by the many others fortunate enough to know and love her.
In lieu of flowers, donations to the Newburyport Choral Society are appreciated: P.O. Box 92, Newburyport, MA 01950.
Arrangements: Mary Ann will be cremated by the Cremation Society of New Hampshire. A Celebration of Life will be held in the coming months.
