Mary Elizabeth Birkhofer Warchot

Mary Elizabeth Birkhofer Warchot, age 67, passed away on February 28, 2025 after a long battle with cancer. Mary is survived by her husband, Louis, her daughters Catherine and Caroline, her brothers Martin (Colleen) Birkhofer and John Birkhofer, her nephews, Christopher (Jennifer) Birkhofer, Matthew (Jane) Birkhofer, Gregory Birkhofer, Michael Birkhofer, and Eric Gander, her niece Caroline (John) Senetar, many grandnieces and grandnephews, and countless close and life-long friends. She was preceded in death by her daughter, Elizabeth, and her parents Martin and Mary.

Mary was born in New York City on February 16, 1958 and grew up in New Milford, New Jersey. She attended the College of Mount Saint Vincent in Riverdale, New York where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing. After obtaining her degree, Mary worked at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York City as a registered nurse advancing to supervisorial positions in the Hospital’s Nursing Department. Upon her marriage to Louis in 1987, Mary moved to San Francisco and continued her work as a registered nurse until moving with her family to McLean, Virginia in 1998.

During the move to Virginia, their daughter Elizabeth, who was then two years old, was diagnosed with leukemia. Mary dedicated the next three years to her family and to helping Elizabeth in her valiant and inspirational battles with her disease. Elizabeth succumbed to the leukemia in 2001. With the support of many friends, Mary and Louis established the Because of Elizabeth Foundation to foster educational opportunities for young girls. The Foundation helped to found and supports a Catholic secondary school in Kisumu, Kenya for underprivileged girls.

Throughout her life, Mary was full of love and joy and she was always adept at finding opportunities for generosity and for laughter. She was a loving wife, mother, sister and aunt. She was devoted to her close and extended family and to her large community of many dear and long-term friends. Mary’s Catholic faith was always her guide. Mary supported and participated in numerous charitable and religious organizations and activities, ran the book store and gift shop at her parish, St John the Beloved Catholic Church, and was a Dame Commander in the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.

Visitation will be from 4 pm to 8 pm on Friday, March 7, 2025, at Murphy Funeral Home, 1102 W. Broad Street, Falls Church, VA 22046 with a recitation of the rosary at 7:00 pm. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 am on Saturday, March 8, 2025 at St. John the Beloved Catholic Church, 6420 Linway Terrace, McLean, VA 22101. Burial at Fairfax Memorial Park, 9900 Braddock Road, Fairfax, VA 22032 will immediately follow the Mass. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Because of Elizabeth Foundation, P.O. Box 214, McLean, VA 22101