Mary McCoy

Mary Farrell McCoy, better known to all locally in Cambridge, Maryland as “Farrell”, passed away at age 77 on August 3, 2021 at Compass Regional Hospice in Centreville, MD.

Born in New York on July 20, 1944 she was the daughter of the late John Thomas Farrell and Elizabeth Corbly Farrell.

The Farrell family relocated to Washington D.C. from New York in 1945. Mary studied art history at American University.

Mary and her husband, Garnett McCoy, made their home in D.C.  Both had a passion for history.  Garnett worked for The Archives of American Art and Mary worked for the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) within the National Park Service.  A signature preservation effort of Mary’s in D.C. was saving and helping to renew Eastern Market on Capitol Hill.

In 2010 they relocated to Cambridge, Maryland where Mary renovated The Leonard House and contributed significantly to the community through other historic preservation efforts.  Numerous nonprofit organizations and their respective projects benefited from her wisdom and guidance.

She is survived by her stepchildren Colin McCoy and Julie Garnett Griffin (husband Richard) and step grandchildren Richard and Duncan Griffin.  She is also survived by her sisters Elizabeth Farrell, Ann Farrell Hughes (husband Philip  “Flip” Von Blond), James Patrick Farrell (wife Barbara Ciesar), sister-in-law Bernadette Farrell, many loving nieces and nephews as well as dear friends and colleagues.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Garnett McCoy, her parents John T. and Elizabeth Farrell, siblings Patsy Farrell and Michael Farrell, grandnephew Matthew Lacuesta and grandniece Colleen Mitchel.

A Celebration of Life will take place in Cambridge, MD at a date to be announced.  A private burial will be held in Washington, D.C.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in Mary’s name can be made to the Richardson Maritime Museum, P.O. Box 1198, Cambridge, MD 21613 and to Compass Regional Hospice at 160 Coursevall Drive, Centreville, MD 21617, where Mary said she felt “privileged” to be.