Mary Carroll (Dickie) Cummins

Mary Carroll Mann (Dickie) Cummins passed away peacefully at her home in East Hampton, NY on Sunday, September 22nd, at the age of 96.

Affectionately called Dickie as a small child in Germany (short for the German word Dickenchen, meaning "fatty"), she embraced this nickname her whole life and even her closest friends never knew her by any other name. Born on January 22, 1928, in Baltimore, MD, the middle of 5 children to Henry Mann and Helen (Grimes) Mann and raised in Berlin, Germany until the age of 12, when her family was forced to flee due to the escalating war. After making their way to Switzerland, and spending time in school there, they were able to secure passage on one of the last ocean liners to leave Europe. When they arrived in the United States, they temporarily settled in Greenwich, CT before moving to 10 Gracie Square in New York City. She attended the Convent of the Sacred Heart, where she made many lifelong friends who would later become her bridesmaids. Following high school, she attended Manhattanville College, where she studied French and joked about having a French boyfriend to help her with her studies. Growing up in Europe shaped her love of language and she proudly spoke four languages throughout her life including English, German, French, and Spanish.

Dickie met the love of her life Gerald (Jerry) Cummins after college while living in New York City and though they had several encounters prior, their romance truly took flight at a weekend party hosted by mutual friends in Mont Tremblant, Canada. They were married soon after in June of 1954, and started their family with the birth of their eldest son in 1955. Dickie accompanied and supported her husband of 66 years in his career as a political consultant. Their early years together included a wide sphere of politics, sports, New York nightlife, theater, and entertainment and they attended numerous inaugurations, Super Bowls, and movie premieres, as well as traveled to Europe as often as possible. When child number three arrived, Dickie reluctantly gave up their tiny New York City apartment and moved their growing family to Manhasset, Long Island where they raised their 7 children.

Dickie's passion for life was infinite and started at a very young age. She learned to ski in Europe, which was evident by her elegant and graceful turns always on display at Windham Ski Club, where she insisted her children also adopt her love of skiing. She had an innate connection with animals, especially horses, and spent her childhood mucking stalls and riding. This translated to a love of the racetrack as an adult, and a dream to marry the famous jockey, Jean-Luc Samyn, in her next life. (Dickie would want it noted this dream led to a strategically placed bet on Jean-Luc's race the next day and landed her a nice payout at the track.) If you ever encountered Dickie on the tennis court, you quickly learned that she had a killer forehand and that a perfect day for her was to win a tennis match in the morning and win the daily double in the afternoon at Belmont. Sundays were reserved for church, and in the fall and winter months, her beloved New York Giants.

Dickie's commitment to her husband, family, and friends was rooted in her faith in God and the joy of living her life to the fullest with a beautiful authenticity and stunning smile. Her "dash" (see The Dash by Linda Ellis) will forever be celebrated and remembered by her 7 children, 3 daughters-in-law, 2 sons-in-law, 15 grandchildren, 5 great grandchildren, and all the other numerous strays she welcomed into her family over the years.

Dickie was truly one-of-a-kind. A strong woman who never missed a cocktail hour (promptly at 5pm) with a Dewar's and water on the rocks in a stem glass. She brought tremendous love, joy, and laughter to everyone lucky enough to meet her. Jerry (Pops) and Dickie (Mums) had an extraordinary life together and left a legacy of love and wisdom. Reunited again, now your travels together can continue. May you rest in peace. We love you.

Love from all your children

A funeral service is being held at 10:30 AM Saturday, September 28th at Most Holy Trinity Parish, 79 Buell Lane, East Hampton, NY 11937. Burial to follow.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to one of the following local Hamptons organizations:

Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons
To donate online: https://give.arfhamptons.org/Dickie
If you prefer to mail a check: P.O. Box 2616, East Hampton, NY 11937

East End Hospice
To donate online: https://eeh.org/ways-to-give/donate/
If you prefer to mail a check: P.O. Box 1048, Westhampton Beach, NY 11978