Mary Joan Mahaffey

The Mahaffey and McCathran family is devastated to announce that on the morning of Thursday, April 10, 2025, our beloved Joan Mahaffey died after a brief illness. She was a brilliant, passionate person with the biggest smile, the most joyful laugh, and the kindest heart, and she generously shared her light with others.
Born to Jean and Donald McCathran on March 18, 1945, Joan was the second of ten children. A devoted mother, sister, cousin, grandmother, great-grandmother, and friend who was deeply committed to helping others, Joan lived a life of loving service to family, to friends, to students, to strangers, to her Church, to the Nation, and to the environment. She showed her love in the most thoughtful ways like crocheting baby blankets for anyone expecting, even people she didn't know. Always giving, always thoughtful.
She was an extraordinary teacher who worked passionately and ceaselessly for social justice through education, conservation, and kindness. As a lifelong devout Roman Catholic, she lived her values, actively practicing empathy, acceptance, and love while pursuing her convictions with boundless energy.
Joan loved to travel and continued to explore the world throughout her life. She was whole-heartedly committed to her family and her community, and she leaves us all with a shared legacy of love, kindness, and a commitment to justice.
We will all hold onto the quiet peaceful moments we shared in Washington Grove, a place that holds so much of her soul. The Grove will always carry her spirit. We will feel her in the trees, in the rustle of the leaves, in the soft evening light that falls around the homes. She will always be here.
There will be a Mass for her at St. Martin of Tours Church in Gaithersburg at 11:30 am, Tuesday, April 15, 2025. On Saturday, April 26, 2025, at 10 am, we will host a memorial gathering at McCathran Hall in Washington Grove to celebrate her incredible life.