On November 27, 2004, Dr. Leroy Edward Mayo passed away at the age of 97. The faculty and staff of Mayo School wish to extend our condolences to his family.
A portrait of Dr. Mayo hangs in the school library. This portrait represents a man with a legacy: the legacy of a loving father, husband, and grandfather, the legacy of a military man who served in one world war and one military conflict before leaving the Army Air Corps as a Major, and the legacy of a compassionate physician who served this community for sixty-five years before retiring at the age of 85.
Dr. Mayo came to Holden in the 1930s following his graduation from Tufts Medical School. He joined a small group of physicians at the Holden Clinic and they cared for their patients at Holden Hospital. For sixty-five years he cared for residents of Holden and the surrounding communities treating the ill, comforting the infirm, and ushering the newborn into the world. It was his caring, gentle manner, and love for children that endeared him to several generations.
In 1998, when the Holden School Building Committee was preparing for the opening of the new school on Bullard Street they suggested it be named in honor of a person who had dedicated his life to serving others. They chose to name it the Dr. Leroy E. Mayo Elementary School. Dr. Mayo felt that having a school named for him was the most significant honor of his life. He often visited our school, joining the second grade classes in their study of the history of Holden. He also participated as a community reader. Dr. Mayo spoke fondly to his wife, Connie, his grandchildren and great grandchildren of his time spent at Mayo School.
Upon his death, Mayo School was honored to be named by the family as a recipient of donations made in Dr. Mayo's memory. We have accepted this gesture with enthusiasm and humility and have set up a mechanism to receive donations to be earmarked for the Mayo School Library Fund.