Maryann Cassidy Swann

Maryann Cassidy Swann, age 69, of Ellicott City, passed away at her home on Thursday, March 30, 2023, after a valiant nine-year struggle with ovarian cancer. She ultimately succumbed to the ravages of recurrent disease and complications of accumulated chemotherapy. Spending her final days with in-home hospice care, she was surrounded in her final moments by her beloved husband of 46 years, Mark Stephen Swann, and their son, Evan Thomas Swann, and comforted by visits from her family and friends.

Born at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in New York City in 1953, the daughter of John Vincent Cassidy and Marie Delores (nee Carrollo) Cassidy, Maryann grew up in Uniondale, Long Island. She attended Maria Regina High School and Adelphi University, receiving an undergraduate degree in psychology. She and her husband were married in 1977 and resided in both Baltimore City and Baltimore County. Their son, Evan, was born in 1985.

A retired teacher and educator, Maryann served the Maryland School for the Deaf (MSD) for 36 years starting in 1977 as a teacher’s aide. She became a classroom teacher in MSD’s Columbia Campus Elementary School upon receiving her graduate degree from Johns Hopkins University in 1981. In 1986, she began balancing motherhood and working for the Family Education Department on a part-time basis. She eventually returned to full-time, staying within Family Education, travelling throughout the state and making home visits to children and families, teaching Preschool Classes on campus, and facilitating Parent Group meetings.

In 2006, Maryann became Director of Family Education and Early Childhood, and provided leadership to the entire department on both Columbia and Frederick campuses. She was active in interagency coordination and served in various advisory capacities. In 2012, she was appointed Director of MSD’s Birth to Five Program, and worked to improve outcomes for deaf and hard of hearing children and their families throughout Maryland.

Through the years, she participated on articles published in Deaf Education journals such as Perspectives and Odyssey magazines and served on many committees, conducted workshops and seminars, and was a recipient of numerous service awards, letters of appreciation, and commendations.

In 2014, anticipating retirement and still working, she received a stage 3 ovarian cancer diagnosis after a brief illness. From that point onward until her death, she was an indefatigable fighter of each recurrence. Her last nine years of life was punctuated by periods of remission. To the very end, she kept her smile and laughter and a brave and positive demeanor.

She is survived by her husband and son, a brother, John Thomas Cassidy, of Yokohama, Japan, and a sister. Maryann was much beloved by a larger family of very close in-laws, nephews, nieces, relatives and lifelong friends.

The family would like to thank her oncologist, Dr. Gautam G. Rao, and the staff at the UMMC Gynecological Oncology Dept. for their care since 2014.

In lieu of flower arrangements, the family requests that you respect her wishes and please direct any generosity to the University of Maryland School of Nursing Development. These brave and hard-working men and women were instrumental in Maryann’s comfort and well-being during her treatment phases over the years and the final stretch of her abundant and fruitful life. Please see the link below to donate and proceed to the “Make a Gift” button on this page and you may select any Nursing School program to donate to – these are listed in order of priority based upon needs.

https://www.nursing.umaryland.edu/giving/

A visitation for Maryann will be held Monday, April 3, 2023 from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM at Gary L. Kaufman Funeral Home at Meadowridge Memorial Park, 7250 Washington Blvd, Elkridge, MD 21075. A funeral service will occur Tuesday, April 4, 2023 at 10:00 AM at Gary L. Kaufman Funeral Home at Meadowridge Memorial Park. Interment private.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.garylkaufmanfuneralhome.com for the Swann family.