Northampton, MA – Mahi Swan (née Debbie Stubbs) died peacefully at home on November 4, 2025, after a long illness. She was born on June 14, 1949, and grew up in Sharon, Massachusetts.
Mahi graduated from Sharon High School and went on to study at Barnard College, the New School for Social Research, and the City University of New York, where she earned her first bachelor’s degree. She later attended St. Louis University School of Nursing, receiving a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.
She enjoyed a long and varied career as a nurse, working in pediatric home care, childbirth, cardiac recovery, behavioral health, and school nursing. Early in her career, she lived on the West Coast, where she became a disciple of Rajneesh and spent several years on his commune in Oregon. It was there that she met her future husband. The couple later settled in Northampton, Massachusetts, to be close to her family. Although they eventually separated, they remained devoted friends.
Mahi was a woman of many interests and talents. She enjoyed carpentry, auto mechanics, and photography, and was an accomplished classical pianist. She also studied homeopathy and massage therapy, integrating these holistic practices with her traditional nursing work.
Animals were a lifelong passion for Mahi. She was known for her compassion toward all living creatures and always shared her home with beloved dogs and cats-some rescued, others tamed from feral beginnings. In her later years, she lived in a house she owned on twelve acres in Northampton, where she tended to injured wildlife and created a safe haven for her many animal companions. Two years ago, Mahi moved to an accessible apartment in downtown Northampton where her parents, Lu and Hal Stubbs who predeceased her, had lived in their retirement.
Mahi will be remembered as a gentle and generous soul. She is survived by her sister, Sue Stubbs, and Sue’s husband, Barry Goldstein; her nephew, Robin Goldstein; her niece, Rosie Goldstein, and Rosie’s partner, Eraun Dugger; her grand-nephew, Azai Dugger; her aunt and uncle Jean and Tom Benedetti, her former husband, Siddharth Lodaya; her lifelong childhood friend Susie Brookfield; and her neighbor Glen Wheeler, who took care of Mahi’s property and animals when she could no longer do so herself.
The family wishes to express their heartfelt gratitude to Mahi’s wonderful caregivers-Joyce, Michael, Karen, and Lexi-whose compassion and dedication allowed her to remain at home, and who filled her final days with comfort and joy.
A special “white robe” celebration was conducted for Mahi by spiritual friends in Dehradun, India, to properly send her off. Friends are invited to join the family at a local celebration of Mahi’s life on Sunday, November 23, at 3:00 PM, at Sue and Barry’s home at 13 Trumbull Road in Northampton.
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