The Holyoke Public Schools community was saddened to learn of the passing of Mary Colon on July 1, 2025 at the age of 43, following a short illness.
Mary worked with Holyoke teachers as well as HPS middle and high school students for more than a decade in her roles as Gear Up director and former advisor for the Valley Opportunity Council, Inc. She is survived by her husband, children, and extended family members. Funeral services will be private through the Firtion Adams funeral home.
GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) is a program of the Valley Opportunity Council, Inc., administered in cooperation with Massachusetts Education and Career Opportunities, Inc. (MassEdCo), the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education, and funded by the U.S, Department of Education. Approximately 1,800 students in grades 7-12 are served at six participating sites in Holyoke and Springfield. At each site, GEAR UP Advisors counsel middle and high school students on the importance of higher education while advising them to have high expectations, study hard, stay in school, and take the correct courses that will allow them to enroll in post-secondary education that supports their career goals.
Taryn Tomkins will serve as interim director of the Gear Up program in Holyoke as the community mourns Mary's passing.