Mary Ann Brockett

Mary Ann Brockett, 92, of Garrettsville, Ohio, passed away on Tuesday, September 2, 2025. She was born September 18, 1932, in Columbus, Ohio, to the late Harold and Leota (nee Parks) Ross.
She was raised in Columbus, Ohio and graduated from West High School. Mary Ann then went to university and graduated from Otterbein College with a degree in English Education. Otterbein College is where she met her husband of over 68 years, Richard Brockett.
After college, she married Richard Brockett. They settled in Lodi, Ohio, where she taught 5th grade part time in Seville, Ohio. Richard and Mary Ann later moved to Garrettsville, Ohio where Mary Ann taught high school students at Champion High School for over 15 years. At Champion, she coached the Debate Team and directed over 10 plays with critical acclaim including Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap, Up the Down Staircase and Arsenic and Old Lace. She was known as a "cool teacher" and taught fun classes like analyzing the lyrics of the Beatles and other pop culture music groups. While teaching high school, Mary Ann got her Master of Science from Kent State University in Speech and English.
For three consecutive summers Mary Ann and Richard hosted children from unprivileged homes in intercity Cleveland through a program called Fresh Air. The children were introduced to rural living and Mary Ann tutored them in English, Geography, Social Studies, and Math.
Later in her high school teaching career, Mary Ann took time off from teaching to pursue and receive her PhD in Speech and Rhetoric from Kent State University in 1985. She defended her dissertation which was "The Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Speeches." In order to read the original transcripts, she needed to learn
Farsi. She competed and won a scholarship to study Farsi at Princeton University.
Mary Ann went on to teach university students at Hiram College for 20 years where she was named "The Queen of Rhetoric." While she taught, she took students and traveled to over 16 countries including 2 years teaching in China, South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Turkey. She was instrumental in bringing foreign students to study at Hiram College. She followed many of her students through higher education and professional careers. At Hiram, she was considered a fashionista for her high dress standards and acclaimed by her students.
In her spare time, she attended local church activities, enjoyed book clubs, and many, many travels. She was a lifelong Christian and member of her local church. As a child she was an expert in bible quizzing and was a bible verse champion. She took up sailing for some time and sailed with her friend from Cleveland to Toronto, Canada. She was a member of The League of Women Voters and donated her time to Public Radio. She also frequented many of her husband's sports events and was a lifelong fan of the Cleveland Indians, Cleveland Brown, and Cleveland Cavaliers.
She loved her grandchildren and was a pinnacle presence in their lives, helping with college entrance essays, giving advice on jobs, and any subject from A to Z. She loved to write cards and never missed a birthday, anniversary, or holiday for her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. Up until she died, she was writing letters and cards. Mary Ann was smart, witty, and generous.
She will be deeply missed by her children, David (Namatra) Brockett, Daniel (Linda) Brockett, Alice (David) Hale, Amelia (Dan Murphy) Mutere; 9 grandchildren; 10 great grandchildren, as well as many nieces, nephews, and good friends.
She was preceded in death by her parents; loving husband of 68 years until his passing, Richard Brockett, and her siblings, Thomas Ross, Neil Ross, and Jo Claire Miller.
Please join the family for a memorial visitation Saturday, October 4th from 10-12 pm, at Mallory-DeHaven-Carlson Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 8382 Center St., Garrettsville, Ohio 44231. A memorial remembrance will begin at the funeral home at 12 pm.
In lieu of Flowers please donate to the League of Women Voters in Mary Ann's name, www.lwv.org.