Mary Anne Mitchell

Mary Anne Mitchell

AGE: 50 • Sea Girt

Mary Anne Mitchell, 50, of New York City and Sea Girt, NJ died peacefully on June 6, 2013. She courageously tackled cancer, like every other obstacle in her life, with determination and dignity. Born in Brooklyn N.Y, on March 15, 1963, she grew up first in Old Bridge and then Fair Haven, NJ. She graduated from Rumson-Fair Haven RHS in 1981 and then her beloved College of William and Mary…. "Living in the Sweet Virginia Breeze". She made and KEPT friends from every aspect of her life. After College she began a career in Advertising, first with Ogilvy and Mather and then FCB Agency where she worked in both New York City and San Francisco. For the last 10 years she worked as Senior Vice President of Marketing at Scholastic in NYC. She was the driving force behind all of Scholastic Education's major technology programs. Her commitment to helping children of all backgrounds made her work at Scholastic not a job, but a passion. Mary was a founding member of Girls Prep, a leading charter school in New York City. She embraced the big idea that single sex education matching the quality of the top schools in the country should not be limited to the financially fortunate, but should be a public choice for parents and their daughters (and sons). Mary loved her work with Girls Prep and her commitment to them reached far beyond financial support. As great as Mary's talent for work may have been, greater still was her talent for life. She was fortunate to travel extensively throughout the world. The self proclaimed "History Nerd" had recently completed a trip to Cambodia and Vietnam and was planning a celebration in Greece to mark her first 50 years. Her quest to visit all 50 states fell short… only missing 3. Mary had many loves and she made them known. The College of William and Mary, her "happy place" in Sea Girt, American History, Broadway and all things Jersey Shore.

She is survived by her loving parents, Paul and Linda Mitchell of Shrewsbury, her sister Patty Gallagher and her husband Joe of Fair Haven, her brother Jim Mitchell and wife Kristen of Baltimore, MD and her 3 nieces and nephews, Clare, Kevin and Grace Gallagher. She is also survived by a multitude of friends who had become family to her.

A memorial service is to be planned for later this summer. In lieu of flowers, friends are asked to make a donations in Mary's name to Public Preparatory Network, Attn: Mary Mitchell Memorial Fund, 291 Broadway, Suite 1202, New York, NY 10007 (www.publicprep.org)