Mary Jo Atwood, who managed a Harbor East boutique, died Feb. 17 of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis at Gilchrist Hospice Care in Towson. The Mount Washington resident was 57.

Born Mary Jo Sheck in Baltimore and raised in Parkville and Phoenix, she was the daughter of William Sheck Sr., a telephone company worker, and Margaret Catherine “Peggy” Rudgier, a nurse.

She was a 1975 graduate of Dulaney High School, where she participated on the school debate team. She earned a bachelor's degree in political science at Washington College.

In 1981, she married Theodore D. Atwood, who was then a chemical engineer with the U.S. Department of Energy. They later divorced.

Ms. Atwood, who lived many years on Lanvale Street in Bolton Hill, worked for the old Mercantile-Safe Deposit and Trust Co. in its trust department, and also in marketing at Waverly Press. She also sold residential real estate for Long & Foster.

She later spent six years managing Handbags in the City, a boutique in Harbor East. She stopped working in 2015.

“She was never afraid to tell those around her the truth and share her opinion,” said her son, Matthew R. Atwood.

Ms. Atwood was an accomplished cook and maintained a library of cookbooks. She specialized in French dishes, including roast duck, soups and madeleine cookies. She spoke French fluently and visited the country on numerous occasions.

She also assembled a fashion wardrobe and kept up on current styles by subscribing to magazines. She read classics of modern English literature, as well as classic English detective novels. She also visited English National Trust homes and gardens.

She was a fan of “Downton Abbey” and enjoyed writing short stories and letters to friends.

A memorial Mass will be offered at 10:30 a.m. today at St. Mary of the Assumption Roman Catholic Church, 5502 York Road.

In addition to her son, survivors include her father, who lives in Rehoboth Beach, Del., and her brother, William Sheck Jr. of San Diego.

—?Jacques Kelly