Mary Ann Cutting

Mary Ann (O’Neil) Cutting, of Derwood, Maryland, passed away peacefully on August 16th, 2026. She was a cherished wife, mother, grandmother, friend, neighbor, and brilliant scientist. Mary was 68 years young. She will be deeply missed.

Mary was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana, to Thomas and Elizabeth O’Neil. The family moved to Massachusetts, first to Fitchburg and ultimately settled in Framingham. Mary graduated from Framingham North High School, graduated summa cum laude from the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, and earned a master’s degree in nutritional biochemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Mary met her future husband, Jon, on their first day at Holy Cross. They were married five years later after Mary completed her master’s degree. The newlyweds lived in Kensington, Maryland while Jon studied medicine at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, and during his internship at Naval Hospital, Bethesda. During internship, son Brian was born. The family moved to 17 Navy duty stations including Pensacola, Florida; Brunswick, Maine, where son Michael was born; back to the National Capital Area; London, England; Rota, Spain; and Chesapeake, Virginia, before settling in Derwood, Maryland. During more than three decades of uncompensated service as a Navy spouse, Mary became a passionate advocate for military families and single service members. She greatly improved the quality of life for Navy and Marine Corps personnel and their families, and was particularly impactful during overseas tours of duty--so much so, that when the family departed Rota, the command ombudsman voiced concern that while the Navy would replace Jon as Commanding Officer, nobody could ever replace Mary.

Professionally, Mary made substantial contributions to the advancement of science. At Walter Reed Army Institute of Research she performed groundbreaking experiments to refine understanding of iron absorption and metabolism. She continued this work under the auspices of the Jackson Foundation, George Washington University, and the Department of the Army. She acquired a reputation as a generous and dedicated colleague and rigorous researcher. She achieved certification in Regulatory Affairs, helping manage extramural research grants for the National Institutes of Health, where her passion for eliminating health disparities helped improve health care for all Americans. Her writing skill and attention to detail helped ensure that the Nation’s scientific research funds were invested wisely and efficiently.

Mary gave life to sons Brian T. Cutting and Michael P. Cutting. Brian carries forth Mary’s passion for scientific research as an entomologist and advocate for environmental restoration in New Zealand. Mary’s warm and graceful hospitality live on through Michael’s restaurant and catering endeavors and community involvement in Massachusetts.

Mary is survived by Jonathan (Jon), her husband of nearly 46 years; son Brian and his wife, Lisa Evans, and their sons Lewin and Elliot; son Michael and his wife, Casey, and their son Cody; her mother Elizabeth O’Neil; brother John (Jack) O’Neil and his wife Cathy Simms; and brothers Charles (Chuck) O’Neil and Paul O’Neil. She was preceded in death by her beloved father, Thomas H. O’Neil.

Visiting hours will be held at DeVol Funeral Home, 10 East Deer Park Drive, Gaithersburg, Maryland on Thursday August 27 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. and from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. A funeral Mass will be held at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, 6701 Muncaster Mill Road, Derwood, Maryland, on Friday August 28 at 11:00 a.m. Interment at Arlington National Cemetery will take place at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to So Others Might Eat, a community based nonprofit organization providing emergency services, healthcare and other vital services in the D.C area, or to the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society to support Sailors, Marines and their families in the vital work they do in defense of our country.