Mary Gabriella Fitzgerald Byrne passed peacefully in her sleep on April 29, 2025, at age 91, after a lifetime of living her Catholic faith through devotion to her family and care and kindness toward all who were fortunate enough to come within her orbit.
Mary was born on March 25, 1934, the youngest child of Michael and Elizabeth (Hallisey) Fitzgerald. Mary’s parents, both born in Ireland, chose her name in recognition of her birthday falling on the Feast of the Annunciation. Mary and her older brother, Paul, were raised in Manhattan, New York, where Mary attended St. Jean Baptiste High School. While she was a student at Fordham University, Mary met William J. Byrne Jr., who was attending Fordham Law School.
Mary and Bill were married in 1958, and welcomed their first child, William J. Byrne III, in 1960. In 1964, Mary and Bill moved their young family from New York City to Pelham. In the years that followed, Mary was a devoted wife and mother. The family grew with four more sons, Thomas, James, Matthew, and Peter. Tragically, Bill and Mary lost their only daughter, Kathleen Mary, as an infant.
During the busy years when her sons were growing, Mary was a dedicated parishioner at Our Lady of Perpetual Help. She volunteered with the Cub Scouts, and the Mother’s Auxiliary at Iona Grammar and Iona Prep, and supported her five sons in their various sporting and scouting activities. Mary often “held down the fort” while Bill was traveling internationally for work – often for long stretches. She also found time to golf, sew, knit, quilt, and engage in other creative pursuits. The family enjoyed summer vacations at Candlewood Lake in Connecticut and winter ski trips in Vermont.
In 1996, Mary and Bill moved to Pinehurst, North Carolina, for a well-earned retirement. After Bill passed in 1998, Mary relied on her faith to carry on. She formed deep friendships and traveled with a group of friends to see Pope John Paul II in Rome. Mary swam regularly at the Lake Pines Swim Club, and she was an avid fan of college basketball and golf. Famous for her thoughtful handwritten notes, Mary was always up to speed on what was happening in the lives of the extended family and family friends. Mary also volunteered, tirelessly, through Sacred Heart Catholic Church. Among other efforts, she helped to get an early childhood education program off the ground, and she worked to support young moms whose husbands were deployed on military assignments.
In 2018, Mary moved to the Riderwood community in Silver Spring, Maryland, to be closer to family. During her years in Maryland, Mary kept up correspondence with her friends in Pinehurst and enjoyed visiting with her sons and four grandchildren.
Mary is survived by her five sons, William J. (Polly O’Hanlon), Thomas F. (Lindsay Marek), James M., Matthew F. (Donna), and Peter G., four grandchildren, Rowan, Jillian, Thomas and Bridget, and numerous other dear family members.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00am on May 20, 2025, at St. Bartholomew Catholic Church, 6902 River Road, Bethesda, Maryland 20817. On May 21, 2025, Mary will be laid to rest with her husband of forty years, Bill, and their daughter, Kathleen Mary, at Gate of Heaven Cemetery, in Hawthorne, New York.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Catholic Charities of DC.
Editor’s note: This obituary was provided by the family.
