Obituary of Mary Murnane

Mary McDonnell Murnane
1929 – 2025

Mary McDonnell Murnane, 95, of Vero Beach, Florida, died peacefully at home on Friday, August 15, 2025.

Born in New York and raised in both Manhattan and Southampton, New York, Mary was the eleventh of fourteen children of James Francis McDonnell and Anna Murray McDonnell.  She was educated at the Convent of the Sacred Heart in Manhattan and Noroton, and went on to earn her bachelor’s degree from Marymount Manhattan College, becoming the first woman in her family to graduate from college.

On May 2, 1957, Mary married George Murnane Jr. at St. Ignatius Loyola in New York City. Together they shared thirty-five years of marriage before his passing in December of 1992.  They settled in Locust Valley, New York, where they raised their four children.

Mary’s greatest joy was spending time with family, often while playing sports.  As a child, she rode horses in Central Park and competed in school athletics.  In her forties, she fearlessly took up downhill skiing, and later embraced country club sports such as tennis and golf.  Golf eventually became her favorite sport, in no small part because she could always count on a grandchild to join her on the course.  She liked to say golf was the perfect game, since you could pray for a good shot and laugh at a bad one.

Mary was the loving mother of George III (Gretchen), Alexandra Hillyer, Marianna Smith (Herbert), and Edith; loving grandmother to ten; and a proud great-grandmother to eleven. She will be remembered for her warmth, resilience, and unwavering devotion to family and church.

Arrangements entrusted to Dodge-Thomas Funeral Home of Glen Cove. In lieu of flowers, please consider sending a donation to Holy Cross Catholic Church in Vero Beach, Florida For Donations, click here. www.DodgeThomas.com