Obituaries

R-FH Grad, Founder of NYC Charter School, Mary Anne Mitchell, Dies at 50

Mitchell, a 1981 R-FH graduate, lost her battle with cancer on Friday.

Mary Anne Mitchell, a 1981 Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School graduate, lost her battle with cancer Friday at 50, according to her obituary on Legacy.com.

Mitchell was born in Brooklyn and grew up in Fair Haven. After graduating from the College of William and Mary, she began a career in advertising, working in New York City and San Francisco.

As senior vice president of marketing at Scholastic in New York City for the last 10 years, Mitchell played a major part in Scholastic Education’s technology programs, according to her obituary. She was also the founding member of Girls Prep, a charter school in New York City.

Find out what's happening in Rumson-Fair Havenwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

A statement from Girls Prep says Mitchell had “unwavering dedication,” “passion for excellence” and a “commitment to strengthening educational opportunities.”

“As a founding Trustee, she challenged us to strive for nothing less than the very best for our students,” the statement says. “Girls Prep Lower East Side, Girls Prep Bronx and Public Prep would not exist without Mary's love and relentless focus on student achievement. Her memory and tenacious spirit will continue to inspire us. We will use her memory to strengthen our work together, and will miss her deeply.”

Find out what's happening in Rumson-Fair Havenwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Mitchell of Sea Girt traveled extensively, most recently to Cambodia and Vietnam, and has visited 47 states. She loved Sea Girt, also known as her “happy place,” American History, Broadway and the Jersey Shore, her obituary says. 

She is survived by: her parents, Paul and Linda Mitchell, of Shrewsbury; her sister, Patty Gallagher, and her husband, Joe, of Fair Haven; her brother, Jim Mitchell, and wife Kristen, of Baltimore; and her three nieces and nephews, Clare, Kevin and Grace Gallagher.

A memorial service is to be planned for later this summer.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you make donations in Mitchell’s name to Public Preparatory Network, Attn: Mary Mitchell Memorial Fund, 291 Broadway, Suite 1202, New York, NY 10007 (www.publicprep.org).


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here