Mary L Furey

Mary Louise Furey died of natural causes at her home on August 7, 2025. Mary was born in Merced, California, on March 1, 1938, graduated from Merced High School, and attended courses at Fresno City and Merced Colleges. While in Fresno, she met and later married William (Bill) J. McCorry, moving to her permanent home east of Planada on the McCorry Ranch. She had two children, Maureen and John. After Bill’s death, Mary began a new chapter—assuming responsibilities for running the ranch. She met and married her lifelong partner, James (Rick) Richard Furey, in 1974.

Mary was a devout Catholic and an active member of the community. She joined forces with grassroots activists to ensure that rangeland, groundwater, and native habitats were protected across the region. She was one of the first in the county to secure a conservation easement to protect these resources in perpetuity. Mary served two terms on the Planada Elementary School Board, was a member of the Planada Municipal Advisory Committee, and was active in California Women for Agriculture and the Merced County Farm Bureau. For her service to the community, she was honored by the Merced County Soroptimist Club, the Merced County Community Action Agency, and the Planada Community Day Committee.

Mary loved to drive—and drove fast. She enjoyed annual vacations at Sand Dollar Beach, trips to San Francisco, and skiing at Badger Pass. Mary was on the cutting edge of fashion—thanks to Helen & Louise and Vidal Sassoon—stayed in shape with Jane Fonda tapes, honed her horseback riding skills with Odie Wright, and adopted every stray cat that made its way to her house on the hill. She will forever be remembered for hosting countless holidays with family and friends, making it a tradition to begin Christmas morning at Mary and Rick’s. Other hobbies included enjoying voluminous quantities of See’s candy, making Filhos (Flosh/Filhoses), and churning out the best banana ice cream.

She is survived by her husband, Rick Furey; daughter, Maureen McCorry; son, John McCorry; daughter-in-law, Joanne McCorry; two grandchildren, John McCorry Jr. and Misty (Anthony) Thomas; one great-grandson, Bowen Perez; sister-in-law, Kathleen Crookham; nieces and nephews, Todd Crookham, Dan (Karrie) Crookham, Julie (Butch) Seifert, Steve Hannon, Kathy Hannon, Rusty (Kim) Ingraham, Susan Munsel, Elena, Lisa, Christopher, and Jonathan Storer; as well as great nieces and nephews, and, of course, many dear friends.

Services will be held at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Planada (Highway 140 and Amistad), beginning with a Rosary at 9:00 a.m. A Requiem Mass will follow at 10:00 a.m., followed by a Celebration of Life at the Vista Ranch (7326 East Highway 140). A private burial will be held at Plainsburg Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate donations made in her name to nonprofits that support those in critical need, such as Second Harvest Food Bank, Doctors Without Borders, Merced County Rescue Mission, El Concilio, World Central Kitchen, the International Rescue Committee, or Catholic Relief Services