Mary Margaret Clancy

Mary was born on July 6, 1943, in Lakewood, Ohio. She was the daughter of Helen and Joseph Mudler, who had four children. Her brother is Michael J. Mudler and sisters are Kathleen P. Squire and Eileen A. Foster. Mary attended grade school at Mantua Center School, middle school at Mantua Junior School, and high school at Crestwood High School in Ohio. Mary received her diploma as a registered nurse at St. Elizabeth’s School of Nursing in Dayton, Ohio, Bachelor of Science in nursing administration from St. Joseph’s in Standish, Maine, and her Bachelor and Masters of Science in nursing at Marymount University in Arlington, Virginia. She served for several years on the Advisory Board of the School of Nursing at Marymount University.

While Mary was a student nurse at St. Elizabeth Hospital, she met James P. Clancy, a student at the University of Dayton in Dayton, Ohio. Mary and James were married June 12, 1965, at St. Joseph Church in Mantua, Ohio. Shortly after they were married, James re-entered in the Navy and became a naval flight officer. Mary and James pursued his naval career as a team effort. While James was with his squadron at sea, Mary created a stable and constructive environment for their two children by maintaining an organized household, assisting the wives and children of other squadron members, and engaging in multiple community projects designed to make life better for the squadron’s families. Mary approached each aspect of her personal life with an infectious positive attitude and desire to serve others.

Mary’s professional life mirrored her personal life. She was a career nurse who devoted her life to others, achieving professional success and excelling to senior management positions. Mary served as an emergency room nurse at Wahaiwa General Hospital in Oahu, Hawaii, charge nurse at Whidbey General Hospital in Washington state, medical unit director at INOVA Fairfax Hospital, and the first long-term care administrator at The Jefferson in Arlington, Virginia.

Mary is survived by her husband, James, children, Colleen and Brian, daughter-in-law, Elaine, son-in-law, William, and grandchildren, Shane, Regan, Rowan, and Quinn. She is also survived by her brother, Michael, sisters, Kathy and Eileen, and cousins, Maureen Podojil, Danny Hughes, Mary Ann Strassburg, Tim Grell, and Patricia Herfkens. Finally, Mary is survived by her extended family and the many friends she made during her extraordinary life.

The family will receive friends on Monday, November 16, 2015, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Murphy’s Funeral Home at 4510 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, Virginia. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held Tuesday, November 17, 2015, at 10:30 a.m. at Holy Trinity Catholic Church, 3513 N Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. Graveside and internment services will be held at a later date at Arlington National Cemetery.

The family would especially like to thank the nursing and physician staff at Georgetown University Hospital and Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Their empathy and quality of care define what Mary sought in her nursing career.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that friends make donations in memory of Mary to the Wounded Warriors Project at woundedwarriorsproject.org/donate or Catholic Charities, Diocese of Arlington at ccda.org.